


Will You Teach Me How To Fly

by comebackbehere



Series: Will You Teach Me How To Fly [1]
Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, adorably confused mal, big brother ben, hesitant princess evie, jaylos, malvie, not so slowburn jaylos, precious puppy carlos, sarcastic and fluffy jay, slowburn malvie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 74,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5718469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackbehere/pseuds/comebackbehere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evie and Jay have already been rescued from the Isle of the Lost as children, and have known nothing but goodness and love. But what will happen when Mal and Carlos, two children who know nothing but the opposite arrive at Auradon? Will they find goodness or corrupt the two who were saved long ago? Accept this land as their own or leave? Or will they all find a love, even from different shores?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, most of this was spawned from the brilliant prompt released into the Tumblr world by @kayla-bird, and some of it was conjured up in my twisted mind. I’m kind of nervous about this one, never written for this fandom before!**

**Prologue**

“You look quite dapper.”

 

Ben glanced up to catch sight of his sister gliding into the room with a bright smile on her face. All at once, he felt his shoulders loosen subtly as he glanced down at the tailor measuring the outside of his legs. There was something about his sister that soothed him; he figured it had to do with the fact that they grew up together, every step they have taken has been beside one another. She was his safety net, his best friend.

 

“I don’t quite understand why you’re not designing my suit,” Ben confessed as he held his arms out, the tailor standing to measure them carefully. “I mean, when is the last time you passed up a chance to dress me?”

 

Brown eyes shone with mirth as the girl paused a few feet away from her brother, her arms folded across her chest. Ben tried to hold back his smile as his sister continued to look him over, and he could see the clear judgement in her eyes. Dancing her gaze over his manicured suit she nodded slowly before scrunching her nose at the all too familiar royal blue and yellow.

 

“What?” Ben frowned as he stared at his sister. “Evie, what’s wrong?”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Evie assured him as she shot an apologetic glance towards the family tailor who pursed his lips. “No offense to you, Christopher, but I’m just tired of the blues and yellows.”

 

“Says the girl with blue hair.” Ben chuckled.

 

“It’s not like I had a _choice_ in my hair color.” Evie scoffed as she flicked said dark locks over her shoulder causing Ben to smile softly. “So, tell me, how does it feel to know you’re only a few months away from being the king?”

 

“I’m not sure.” Ben admitted as Christopher finished fitting him before he picked up his sewing kit and bustled from the room, the boy fixing his jacket with a quick pull. “It’s weird, I suppose. I wish _you_ could rule instead.”

 

Evie clenched her jaw at her brother’s words as they soaked in; no matter how she tried, Evie knew that she would never quite escape the way that Auradon viewed her, looked at her as if she didn’t quite have a place in her family. She figured she didn’t really, it’s not like she was blood. Evie was merely one of the many children who had been rescued from clutches of Isle of the Lost thirteen years ago and somehow King Adam and Queen Belle had fallen in love with her.

 

She had been three when she had been thrust into the world of being an actual princess rather than a child of the Evil Queen who was locked in a closet because she broke her mother’s crown when she was playing dress up. No longer was she the daughter of the Evil Queen, she was now the daughter of the King and Queen of Auradon; she was the sister to the prince, she was a beloved child in the land, and she was the missing piece her family had been apparently searching for.

 

“Evie?” Ben called, his eyes wide with concern. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” Evie assured him with a brief nod as she stepped closer to him before turning her head to glance out the window, her lips pursing slightly. “So, have you talked to mom and dad about the first proclamation you’ve made?”

 

“I know I should, but I’m terrified of their reactions.” Ben admitted as he arched his chin up, Evie stepping forward to fix the lapels of his suit jacket. “I’d much rather wait for the mission to be done before boasting about it.”

 

“Mission?” Evie repeated with a smirk.

 

“Well, that’s what I kind of look at it as,” Ben shrugged with a charming smile on his face as he stepped away from his sister. “We’re finally going to get them off the island and that’s all that matters, right?”

 

“Right.” Evie nodded.

 

“We just can’t leave them over there, you know?” Ben whispered as he spared a glance to the window, the island staring back at him. “They should’ve been rescued when you were, but instead they were over looked.”

 

“They’re an awful lot of trouble, Ben.” Evie warned, her expression hesitant. “As happy as I am that you’re doing this, I just hope you know what you’re doing. This could end very badly if you’re not careful.”

 

The doors of the dress room flew open and Ben straightened up at the sight of their parents, Evie beaming at them. The couple gracefully closed the distance between them, both scanning their son over with soft smiles. Both Belle and Adam looked between their children with pride and adoration in their eyes, and Evie preened under the attention as she forced a quick look of innocence. And like always, like every other time she had tried, her parents play right into her smile.

 

“How is it possible that you’re going to be crowned king in just a few months?” Adam sighed as he glanced down at his wife, the woman flashing him a small grin. “It just seems impossible. You’re just a baby.”

 

Belle giggled softly, “He’s turning sixteen next month.”

 

Adam shook his head as Belle released his arm before he came to a stop a few feet away from his children, “ _Sixteen_. It’s just far too young to be king. I didn’t make a good decision until I was at least forty two.”

 

“Uh, you decided to marry me at twenty eight.” Belle reminded him as she playfully swatted his chest, her gaze bouncing between her children. “What are you two doing?”

 

“Oh, just teasing Ben about his love for all things blue and yellow.” Evie giggled, Belle shooting her a look of amusement. “I wish we could mix it up a little.”

 

Adam regarded his daughter with a fond expression before tilting his head, “Onto more important matters. How is that Chemistry grade, Evie? The last time we checked, it was at a B so I’m hoping that you’ve bumped it up a little.”

 

“Doug has been helping me study and I bumped it up to an A.” Evie assured him, Adam chuckling as he settled a soothing hand on her shoulder before giving her a proud smile. “All that’s left is finishing up goodness class.”

 

“I still don’t understand why she has to be a part of that class,” Ben huffed as he chanced a glance towards his parents. “Evie and the rest of the vill… _kids_ have been a part of Auradon for the last thirteen years.”

 

“It’s just a precaution, Ben.” Belle assured him.

 

“A precaution that’s lasted the last thirteen years? She’s your daughter, all she knows is goodness and kindness.” Ben pointed out with a slight frown as he regarded his sister who had quickly fallen silent. “She should’ve finished that class ages ago.”

 

“Ben, we can’t give her special treatment because she’s our child,” Adam sighed as he traded a look with his wife, her gaze softening slightly as he flexed his jaw. “We can’t forget that she is… _was_ the child of a villain.”

 

“But that’s besides the point, she is our daughter and we love her,” Belle whispered as she reached out to cup a hand under Evie’s chin causing brown eyes to meet her own. “We know that you’re good, sweetheart.”

 

Evie forced a smile, “Enough about me, Ben has something to tell you.”

 

“I do?” Ben frowned as he threw a glance towards his sister, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the bright smile that lit up her face. “I mean, I _do_. It’s uh it’s my first proclamation as a king.”

 

“Is it?” Adam hummed as he arched a questioning eyebrow.

 

Ben straightened his shoulders and shared a quick smile with Evie, “I’ve sent for a team to retrieve two people from the Isle of the Lost. They should be returning to Auradon before the next night fall.”

 

“Ben,” Belle whispered, the disbelief and worry coating her tone. “You should’ve discussed this with your father and I. What children have you sent for?”

 

“I’ve sent for Cruella de Vil’s son,” Ben said, his green eyes taking in the way his parents seemed to relax at his words before he felt his heart pounding against his chest. “And for Maleficent’s daughter.”

 

“ _Maleficent_?” Adam exclaimed, his voice booming through the room causing both his wife and daughter to jump in surprise. “She is the worst villain in the land. I won’t hear of it, she is guilty of unspeakable crimes.”

 

“They’re just kids, it’s not their fault they were born to those villains.” Ben scoffed. “Look at what Auradon has done for Evie, for the rest of the kids you brought back here. They’ll just need help adjusting.”

 

“Have you considered the fact that Evie was rescued thirteen years ago? She was a toddler when she was brought here, Maleficent and Cruella’s children have been with them for _sixteen_ years. There’s no telling what kind of damage has been done.” Adam hissed.

 

“Then that’s even more of a reason to bring them to Auradon, give them a fighting chance at life. Don’t you think they at least deserve a second chance?” Ben demanded, his green eyes full of slight desperation.

 

Adam opened his mouth only for Belle to nudge him, “I gave _you_ a second chance.”

 

“Very well.” Adam said, his voice tight with the anger he wanted to release as he flashed his son a small glance. “ _You_ will be in charge of them, Ben. They’re your responsibility. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

 

“Tea in twenty.” Belle ordered.

 

Ben gave a short nod to Adam as he made a move towards the door, Belle gracefully joining him after shooting her son a small wink. As the couple left, the doors shut tight behind them and Evie spun around to face her brother with a beam. Squealing, the blue-haired girl threw herself at the boy and squeezed him a tight hug. Ben returned the embrace with a soft laugh as he spun his sister around before setting her safely back on her feet.

 

“You did it.” Evie beamed.

 

“I did.” Ben chuckled. “I really did.”

 

“I’m proud of you, Ben. This is going to be the best thing for them.” Evie grinned as she punched her brother lightly in the shoulder causing him to laugh. “Look at you, already being an awesome king.”

 

“Yeah?” Ben breathed out, a look of hesitance on his face.

 

“You’re going to be the best king. I can see it now.” Evie assured him before she began to walk backwards, a wide smile on her face. “Come on, go change before we miss tea with mom and dad. You know they hate to be kept waiting.”

 

Ben watched his sister and reminded himself that the pair that will be coming here will have the same chances Evie had. Evie turned to skip away leaving Ben to turn towards the window, his gaze dancing out to stare at the island across the ocean. Sucking in a breath, Ben nodded to himself: he made a good choice, he just hoped it all worked out.

 

-

 

The red apple sat on the table in front of Evie as she stared at it, her head tilting slightly. Narrowing her eyes, the blue-haired girl paused for a moment before slowly reaching for the waiting fruit. It stared back at her, mocking her silently and reminding her of a past she couldn’t even remember. Just as her fingers grazed the red skin, a hand shot out and snatched it from the table before the sound of teeth sinking into it came. Glancing up, Evie rolled her eyes as she was met with the handsome face of her best friend.

 

“I’ve never seen someone stare at an apple so hard before.” Jay teased as he munched on the fruit before jumped to sit on the table. “What’s going on in your head?”

 

“Memories. Apples aren’t exactly my favorite thing.” Evie mumbled, Jay arching an eyebrow slowly in acknowledgement. “This thing with Ben has me all messed up, I guess. He’s been working with the villains he brought from the island.”

 

“That’s where he’s been all week?” Jay frowned.

 

“Yeah. Apparently, after they were picked up they weren’t anywhere near the level of being able to function in Auradon Prep so they’ve been stuck at a clinic for the last week.” Evie sighed as she licked at her lips. “I’m worried about him.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m afraid that he regrets his decision to do this. It’s so much and he’s so stressed over it, even my parents are stressed about it.” Evie explained. “And they’re trying to keep me out of it, but I can’t help but be a part of it. That place is a part of me.”

 

“It’s only a part of you if you _let_ it be a part of you, Eves.” Jay whispered as he nudged her thigh with his boot, her brown eyes rising to meet his. “We’re good now and soon they will be too. Don’t worry so much.”

 

Evie hesitated for a moment, “Do you ever think about it?”

 

“About?”

 

“About the Isle. Our parents.” Evie mumbled, her gaze bouncing down to stare at the table as Jay continued to bite at the fruit. “We were…we came from two of the worst villains and yet we have the best lives.”

 

Jay clenched his jaw before shaking his head, “I don’t think about Jafar and you shouldn’t waste a second thought on the Evil Queen. We’re here in Auradon because we belong here, Eves. Everything will work out, okay?”

 

“If you say so.” Evie muttered.

 

“So,” Jay began as he chewed at a bite of apple, Evie scrunching her nose in disgust at the sight. “What’s so wrong with these kids? Are they like murderers or something?”

 

“Jay. Be serious.” Evie scolded as she swatted at his thigh. “Just because it’s Maleficent’s daughter doesn’t mean that she’s a murderer. She’s just…she apparently has tried cursing the entire staff.”

 

Jay chuckled in amusement, “Awesome. And de Vil’s kid?”

 

“He literally tried to jump out a window.” Evie mumbled as she shook her head, Jay’s eyes widening in shock. “Ben says that they’ve both been restrained for the time being until the doctor feels they won’t harm themselves or others.”

 

“Wow. Sounds like your brother has his hands full.” Jay snorted as he finished the last bite of apple, Evie nodding slowly in agreement. “Thankfully we don’t have to worry about all that garbage.”

 

“Evie!”

 

The sound of her name being called caused her to glance up in time to see her brother rushing towards her, the boy avoiding the searching hand of his girlfriend as she reached for him before he continued towards his sister. Ben paused in front of her with a breathless frown on his face, the boy leaning over to press his hands to the table as he sucked in a deep breath. Once he was finally able to find his breath again, he looked at her with wide eyes.

 

“Jay, I’m glad you’re here.” Ben breathed out. “Can I borrow the both of you for the rest of the day?”

 

“Yeah. What’s up?” Jay demanded as he popped up from the table, sliding around the other side as Evie gracefully stood. “I mean, I’m up always skipping class but I’d like a valid reason.”

 

“I need your help.” Ben explained. “With the villains.”


	2. Am I Crazy?

“No.”

 

“You haven’t even heard me out yet, Jay!” Ben exclaimed.

 

“I think I’ve heard enough,” Jay sneered with a look of anger shining in his dark orbs. “You made a proclamation and now that you’ve realized you’ve messed up you want Evie and I to help you clean up the mess.”

 

“That’s not true. I didn’t mess anything up.” Ben argued with a shake of his head as he shot his sister a pleading glance. “I just can’t relate to them, they’re not connecting with me. All they see is a prince.”

 

“So, you’re telling me that you brought Cruella’s son and Maleficent’s daughter here thinking _you_ could connect with them? The prince and soon to be king of Auradon?” Jay smirked. “I’m not sure I want to be stuck under your ruling, Benny Boo.”

 

“Jay,” Evie scolded. “Be nice.”

 

“Evie, did you not hear what he told us? He dragged us to this stupid clinic to ask if we’d help with his little social experiment!” Jay exclaimed as he whirled around to face her. “You can’t be stupid enough to think that this is a good idea.”

 

“Dude, back off,” Ben ordered as he caught sight of the flinch that flashed briefly over his sister’s features. “She’s my sister and she wants to help me so of course she’s going to think it’s a good idea.”

 

“Eves, we don’t need to get wrapped up in this…” Jay mumbled.

 

“He’s my brother, Jay. I’m already wrapped up in it.” Evie pointed out with a small shrug as she folded her arms over her chest and looked back to a hesitant Ben. “So, what exactly is it that you want us to do?”

 

“I was hoping you and Jay would consider spending time with them.” Ben began, his voice cautious as he caught sight of the looks Jay and Evie shared. “I know it doesn’t sound appealing, but it’d be nice for them to have some friends.”

 

“Ben, you can’t be serious,” Jay scoffed as he folded his arms over his chest, his gaze bouncing towards Evie. “There’s no way it’s safe for Evie to spend time with _Maleficent’s_ daughter. What if she does something to her?”

 

Evie rolled her eyes at the protective sting that appeared in Jay’s voice, the girl digging through the purse hanging on her arm for her blush. Tilting her head, the girl flipped the mirror open and worked to apply the soft powder. She was used to this side of Jay, it had been there since the day they had met. They hadn’t seen each other much on the island, only the rare moments when their parents came together to plot, but they had found themselves drawn together once they reached Auradon. They took care of each other, he was like another brother to her; she knew that no matter what situation she found herself in, Jay and Ben would be there ready to defend her just as she would with one of them.

 

“Jay, she’s not a threat. She’s just like us and she’s scared.” Ben assured him as he raised a comforting hand. “And do you think I’d really let a threat be around Evie in the first place? She’s my sister.”

 

“Guys, I’m right here you know. I can make my own choices.” Evie hummed as she finished applying another layer of blush. “So, why me? Why did you pick _us_?”

 

“Well,” Ben began, his gaze dropping. “You know what it’s…”

 

“You chose us because we know what it’s like to be evil?” Jay cut in, the disbelief and slight hurt coloring his tone. “I think that you forget that we were only with our parents for a few short years, Ben.”

 

“I realize that,” Ben sighed as he rubbed tiredly at his brow, his green orbs glazing with exhaustion. “It’s just…these two were left behind, hidden from being saved, and they spent sixteen years with those people.”

 

Evie folded her arms over her chest, “How bad is it?”

 

“Bad. Really bad.” Ben admitted.

 

“I’ll do it.” Evie nodded, Jay giving a stutter of slight horror as he glanced to her with wide eyes. “Jay, they need our help and we’d be going against everything we’ve been taught to just ignore them. They need us.”

 

“Evie, they don’t need us. There’s a perfectly good hospital staff ready to take care of them.” Jay pointed out as he threw his hands up. “We can’t let ourselves get wrapped in this.”

 

“Jay, they’re terrified. They’re alone. They were just torn away from the only places they’ve ever called home, no matter how bad it was.” Evie whispered. “I can’t just ignore the part of me that remembers that fear. And that part of me knows she needs to help.”

 

“We were toddlers, Eves. We had no idea what was going on.” Jay reminded her. “They’ve grown up with those people, all they know is evil. What if it wakes something up in us?”

 

“Jay, we’re _good_.” Evie assured him as she reached to squeeze his hand. “I promise you that we’re strong enough to do this. We’re good, okay? And if one of us starts straying then we’ll smack some sense into each other.”

 

“Me? _Smack_ you? Not gonna happen.” Jay smirked as he lifted her hand to his lips to press a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “But I’ll happily cut up all your favorite dresses if you start changing.”

 

Evie’s eyes widened in horror, “You wouldn’t dare.”

 

“Oh, I would.” Jay chuckled.

 

“So, you’re in?” Evie asked as she arched an eyebrow.

 

“Fine. But only for you.” Jay sighed as he rolled his eyes and gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it. “Let’s just get this over with, alright?”

 

“I can’t thank you guys enough for this.” Ben sighed as he began to back towards the door, a look of relief shining in his bright orbs. “If you’re not comfortable or you feel like you can’t do it anymore then just tell me, okay? I won’t pressure you into it.”

 

“I think we’ll be okay.” Evie assured him.

 

Ben clapped his hands together with a look of happiness as he spun around and began to guide them from the on-call room they had been standing in for the last half hour; guiding them through the clinic, Ben veered off towards a desk. Clearing his throat, Ben caught the attention of a handsome dark-haired man who eagerly stood from his chair and bustled around the side of the desk as he reached out to shake Ben’s hand before looking to the two teens. Jay puffed his chest out as he stared at the man, Evie smiling brightly.

 

“This is my friend Jay and my sister Evie.” Ben said as he gestured to them.

 

“It’s nice to meet the two of you.” The tall man grinned as he wondered towards the trio, grabbing a clipboard as he passed by the desk and paused before the teens. “I’m Dr. Winters, I’ve been working closely with both Mal and Carlos for last week.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Evie smiled as she ducked her head.

 

“The pleasure is mine, Lady Evie,” Dr. Winters replied as he swept an arm over his stomach before giving a small bow to the girl. “I realize that this is a lot to ask of the both of you so if you’re uncomfortable you’re welcome to say no.”

 

Jay eagerly opened his mouth only to be met with an elbow to the side causing him to grunt, “We’re happy to be here. Anything to help out Ben.”

 

Dr. Winters flashed a small smile before leading them down a narrow hallway, “As I said before, we’ve been working closely and it seems they’ve been limited to socializing with each other. They’re very dependent on one another.”

 

“Do you really think it was a good idea to split them up then?” Evie frowned as she trailed slowly behind the man. “I mean, maybe you’ll have a better chance of them responding if they’re together.”

 

“We need to access any physical damages and their mental states, the king has ordered full exams.” Dr. Winters explained as he glanced over his shoulder. “We’re hoping that once they’ve both been examined that we’ll be about to reunite them.”

 

Dr. Winters stopped in front of a room and Jay peeked inside; pressed against a wall, a boy with white curls drew his knees to his chest as he pushed himself closer to the cold tiles while his gaze bounced anxiously around the room. He looked so young, so lost. And Jay felt his heart ache as he watched anxious eyes bounce throughout the room, most likely looking for a way out. The boy seemed to be swallowed by the hospital scrubs he wore as his thin arms wound themselves around equally small legs. Tilting his head, Jay continued to stare into the window as he watched frightened brown orbs dance slowly around him.

 

“This is Carlos.” Dr. Winters began. “He was released from his restraints a few nights ago and he’s resorted to either curling in the corner or hiding underneath the bed. He’s very quiet, hasn’t said much since he got here.”

 

“Is he uh is he okay?” Jay asked with a nervous frown.

 

“Emotionally? No.” Dr. Winters replied with a long sigh. “He shows sign of emotional and physical abuse, but he refused his first exam. We’ve started him on an anxiety medication that we hope will help some.”

 

Jay gave a small nod, “What do I do?”

 

“For now, I would work on building a trust. A friendship.” Dr. Winters explained as he glanced between Evie and Jay. “They need to feel like someone is on their side, someone outside of an adult figure, and we believe you’ll be able to have that.”

 

“Okay. Uh, I think I can do that.” Jay mumbled.

 

The boy lingered outside of the room as he clenched his jaw for a beat before his features relaxed, his hand rising to push the door open before he slipped into the room and mumbled a soft greeting. He stared at Carlos and wondered if this would’ve been him, if this would’ve been his fate. He couldn’t imagine not being with this parents, he couldn’t imagine looking like this. Carlos was so little, so fragile; he wished he could make it better for him.

 

Carlos stared at him with wide eyes, “Who are you?”

 

“I’m Jay.” The boy replied as he lazily lifted his hand. “I thought I could come hang out with you, you seem kind of lonely in here.”

 

“I-I’m fine.” Carlos mumbled.

 

“Well, you be fine and I’ll cozy myself up on this couch. Maybe catch the last episode of this awesome show.” Jay shrugged as he dropped onto said couch, grabbing the remote. “You watch TV much?”

 

Carlos was silent before he gave a small shake of his head as he tightened his grasp on his knees. He didn’t know what to make of Jay, he hadn’t met anyone yet that made him comfortable. Everything was backwards here, everything felt too safe. And Carlos was smart, he knew that safety didn’t exist. At least not in his world. The thought made him breathless, and he dug his nails in his knees to keep himself from whimpering. He could feel the fear clawing at his stomach, but every time warm brown orbs met his Carlos felt a sense of calmness that bled easily through him.

 

“Well, if you want to watch then you can. This show is hilarious.” Jay smiled as he laid back on the couch, his gaze dancing towards Carlos who was peeking up at the TV.

 

Sucking in a deep breath, Jay tried to ignore the unfamiliar stirring in his chest. When he was you get, Jay used to always be the protector. He was the muscle and Evie was the brains. From the moment they reunited, he had sworn to always protect her. And he did, he still does every single day. But this was different, this was a stranger, yet he felt that same instinct rising. He couldn’t help but silently promise himself and Carlos that he would help the boy; all it took was one look at confused brown eyes and Jay knew his heart had been stolen.

 

“I think I’ll have a nurse stand by to make sure Carlos doesn’t send himself into a panic. Ben, I’ll be right back. I’m going to take Evie to Mal.” Dr. Winters said as he looked between the siblings.

 

“I…” Ben trailed off as he glanced to Evie. “I don’t know about this anymore.”

 

“Ben, I’ll be fine.” Evie assured him as she rested a soft hand on his bicep before flashing him one of her breathtakingly beautiful smiles. “I’ll have Dr. Winters come get you if I need you.”

 

“Okay.” Ben mumbled as he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Evie’s forehead, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “Make sure you keep her calm, okay? Don’t upset her. I’d hate to find you as a toad later on.”

 

“Ha. Very funny.” Evie snorted.

 

Dr. Winters smiled softly at the interaction between the pair before he guided Evie further down the hall as they came to a stop at a room, Evie hesitating before arching herself forward to peek inside. Her heart sank as she saw purple locks, the girl resemeld a caged animal. With her hackles raised, Mal paced and screamed. She yelled curses as she began tugging anxiously at chains that were wrapped around her wrists, her green eyes blazed with anger as she snarled in annoyance.

 

“This is Mal.” Dr. Winters sighed, his expression full of concern. “She’s been…hard. She has a knack for hitting the staff and we were forced to apply magic free cuffs to her after she arrived because she was trying to curse the staff. Without the barrier, her magic has started to seep through. So, under strict orders from the And we confiscated her mother’s spell book.”

 

“Have you been able to examine her?” Evie demanded as she stared at the girl, her eyes warm with worry as she looked back to the doctor. “Did you see her wrists? She’s tearing them up. Those chains can’t be good.”

 

“They’re not, but we’re forced to use them until we can get her magic under control.” Dr. Winters replied with a slight frown. “All we can tell right now is that she’s suffered quite a bit of abuse and she’s not fond of the dark.”

 

“Okay.” Evie whispered, sucking in a deep breath.

 

“Evie,” Dr. Winters began, his tone turning serious. “She’s fairly angry. She has a lot of pent up resentment for being taken from her mother and she has let it be known. It’s going to be some time before she feels anything other than anger towards you.”

 

Evie gave a hard swallow as she felt her hands shaking with slight nerves before she pushed against the hospital door, the sound of loud shouts echoing around her. Mal was terrified, and Evie could hear it in her voice. She wasn’t trying to be this way, she just didn’t know how to express herself. With a harsh swallow, her breath caught as she stepped into the room and met crazed green orbs. Her chest locked as she felt her breath catch, the princess pausing in surprise as she observed the teen. Clenching her jaw, Mal yanked against the chains as she was met with the all too familiar sympathetic gaze staring at her.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Mal growled.

 

“Hi,” Evie whispered, a small smile pulling at her lips. “I’m Evie.”

 

“Evie?” Mal repeated, a flare of amusement coloring her tone. “As in Princess Evie? Oh, my mother would love that I was standing in front of you. If I didn’t have these chains on me, I would kill you for what you’ve done.”

 

“I haven’t done anything.” Evie frowned as she slowly began to close the distance between them. “My brother found out about you and Carlos so the first order under his leadership was to have the two of you removed and brought here.”

 

“Carlos?” Mal repeated. “Where is he?”

 

Evie noted the way Mal settled at the sound of his name, “He’s being taken care of by the staff. He’s safe. Much like you are. You do realize that you’re safe now, right?”

 

“Safe? You ruined my life!” Mal exclaimed as she gave a hard yank of the chain, the metal clanging loudly. “I was fine, I was _happy_! I don’t know what you and your family want from me, but I will kill you when I’m set free.”

 

“Mal,” Evie murmured. “You weren’t happy.”

 

Mal’s jaw clenched for a beat, “And you know this how?”

 

“Because I’ve been on the Isle and there’s no happiness there, there’s not a single bit of goodness in that horrid place.” Evie sighed as she stopped a few inches away from Mal. “I promise you’ll be happier here.”

 

“My mother is going to come for me and then you’re all going to be sorry.” Mal warned as she bared her teeth at the princess. “She’s going to burn this kingdom to the ground and then we’ll see who needs saving.”

 

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Evie said, her tone light as she ignored Mal’s threats before she moved towards the bed. “I’m only here to be your friend. I just want to help you, I want to talk. To get to know you.”

 

“And what would you like to talk about?” Mal scoffed.

 

“How about your hobbies?”

 

“My hobbies?” Mal repeated. “Oh, I have a few. Murder, vandalism, theft, arson, destroying homes and princesses. Those are my top few.”

 

“That's nice." Evie shrugged as she bounced on the mattress, her nose curling slightly. “Hm, maybe we could talk about you getting a softer mattress. This just won’t do.”

 

“Not everyone has a life of luxury, princess.” Mal snorted, but Evie could note that the bite behind her tone was slowly dwindling. “Let’s be real, that’s the comfiest mattress I’ve slept on since my crib.”

 

Evie hummed in acknowledgement as she watched Mal yank harshly at her chains, brown eyes sweeping down to torn skin. She knew Mal needed the cuffs, but Evie already hated them. It wasn’t fair for them to bring Mal through the barrier and expect her to be calm about the rush of magic coursing through her, Evie knew it had to have been absolutely terrifying. Evie knew exactly what it was like, and it wasn’t the most pleasnt feeling. With a sound of sympathy, Evie jumped as she was met with sparkling green orbs.

 

“You shouldn’t do that to yourself. You’re going to get hurt.” Evie whispered as she looked down at Mal’s raw skin. “Those chains aren’t going to go anywhere until you calm down, you know?”

 

Mal stared with fire in her gaze at the princess for a moment before she slowly began to slide down the length of the wall. She hated this, all she wanted to do was run. She wanted to explore this newfound power they were keeping from her. But that wasn’t going to happen, at least not yet. Not when everyone looked at her like she was going to curse them, and Mal supposed they had every right to look at her like that. After all, she planned to do away with all of them as soon as she could. The chains rattled around her as she rubbed at her aching wrists before giving a small wince of pain.

 

“So, why haven’t you let anyone examine you?” Evie asked as she tilted her head, Mal’s gaze bouncing hesitantly to stare at her. “I promise they’re not going to try and hurt you, they’re going to make you feel better.”

 

“Oh, I’ve heard that before. I don’t want them touching me. I’ll be fine on my own.” Mal assured her with a bite to her tone, her teeth knocking together as she clenched her jaw. “I don’t trust anyone here.”

 

“I can understand that.” Evie nodded as she slid off the bed so she kneeling on the ground a few feet away from Mal. “How about I take a look at you and let them know how you’re doing?”

 

“Like hell I’m going to trust you.” Mal growled.

 

“I’m not asking you to. It’s just important that someone makes sure you aren’t hurt too badly. I just thought you might be more comfortable with me instead of a doctor.” Evie shrugged as she leaned her weight back on her heels.

 

“What exactly do you people want from me?” Mal demanded.

 

Evie folded her hands in her lap as she stared at the broken girl before her, “I want to help you. Auradon is a far cry from the Isle and my brother thought it’d be good for you to have someone you can relate to.”

 

“Don’t even pretend like you know what I’m going through. You weren’t trapped on that island for sixteen years.” Mal growled as she lunged towards Evie, the girl gasping in shock. “You got away, you found your fucking happiness.”

 

“Mal…”

 

“You know what, princess? Your mother spoke of you on the Isle.” Mal snarled, her voice dripping with forced happiness. “She spoke of how those pathetic fools took one look at you and fell under that fucking charm, told us all how the apple didn’t fall far from the rotten tree.”

 

Evie froze as she ducked her head, “My mother is Belle.”

 

“You’re going to sit there and deny where you came from? You’re going to abandon the fact that you were born to the Evil Queen? You were born to a legend, but you have no claim to her? That is rich.” Mal scoffed. “You’re just as evil as the rest of us. It’s what you were born to be and you know it.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Evie frowned as she shook her head, her brown eyes rising to meet Mal’s a moment later. “I was raised by my two wonderful parents and I have a wonderful brother, this is my life. Belle is my mother.”

 

“Oh please,” Mal sneered. “You’re her charity case.”

 

Evie was silent as she observed Mal, “You knew the Evil Queen?”

 

“Knew her? I was _raised_ by her. I was _your_ replacement.” Mal snorted as she clenched her jaw for a beat. “After you and Jay were taken, Carlos and I were raised by our own parents and yours as well.”

 

“I’m so sorry.” Evie whispered as she shook her head. “My brother just wanted a better life for you. He said you deserved better. I’m so sorry that you had to wait so long for someone to rescue you.”

 

“ _Wait_? There was no wait. You took us away from the only life we’ve ever known and now you’re expecting us to blend into your society,” Mal hissed, the pain evident in her tone. “We don’t belong here. We’re broken. We are useless, we’re goners.”

 

“I don’t believe that for a second and you shouldn’t either.” Evie mumbled with a slight scowl before a knock bounced against the door, the girl glancing up to see Dr. Winters nodding for her attention. “I have to go.”

 

Mal paused before lifting her head, “Are you coming back?”

 

Evie smiled softly as she saw just the slight flicker of desperation in Mal’s gaze. She wished there was a way to take it all away, to make this transition easy for her. With a sigh, Evie pushed herself to her feet, the princess glancing over her shoulder before shrugging herself from her jacket. She wondered if Mal was so desperate for human contact that she’d willingly consider allowing Evie to stick around; she couldn’t help but feel her heart break at the thought of Mal being so lonely that she longed for the company of someone she hated.

 

“I’ll be back to tomorrow. I’ll be here every day, if you’d like.” Evie shrugged as she set the jacket on the bed. “It’s cold in here and that gown must not be doing much. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Sweeping an arm across her stomach, Evie gave a small bow to Mal and watched as green eyes sparked before dimming once more. But Evie saw it, saw the quick turn of lips. The pull on the edge of her mouth. She saw the first sign of a smile appear before it quickly vanished. Biting her lower lip, Evie peeked over at Mal as she moved towards the door before reluctantly slipping from the hospital room. Dr. Winters looked at her with a look of worry, his head tilting as he observed her.

 

“She spoke of your mother…”

 

“She is _not_ my mother.” Evie snapped, the anger from the conversation finally finding its way into her voice. “She was only trying to hurt me and she failed. She was testing me and it’s safe to say I passed.”

 

“Are you planning to come back?” Dr. Winters asked.

 

“Of course I am. I’m going to keep coming back till she’s let out of here and then I’m going to help her get comfortable in the outside world.” Evie replied. “I’m going to make this work. She needs me.”

 

Dr. Winters smiled at the spark of confidence in brown eyes before he nodded, “Well, you’ve gotten further with her then any of us have in the last week. Thank you for that.”

 

Evie gave the man a soft smile before glancing back into the room, her heart squeezing as she watched Mal stand and wonder towards the jacket. Her touch was hesitant, frightened but she still picked up the worn material and tightened it in her fist as her brow furrowed. Sucking in a calming breath, Evie walked past Dr. Winters and hurried down the hall where she caught sight of Ben attempting to engage Jay in a conversation, the boy simply mumbling a few words here and there.

 

Not sparing the pair a moment, Evie brushed her way out of the clinic and towards their waiting limo. Sje was afraid to speak, afraid that all that would come out would be cries of heartbreak and anger. Climbing in, Evie bounced her knee as she stared out the window and listened to the clatter of her brother and best friend scrambling in after her. The soft whirl of the tires rang through the air as the trio sat in silence before Evie looked to where Jay was squirming uncomfortably in his seat, his dark eyes full of something she hadn’t seen before.

 

“You’re being pretty quiet.” Evie noted as she spared a glance towards Jay, brown orbs darting to lock with hers. “I don’t really blame you. After what I saw…I don’t know how they survived.”

 

“He’s broken.” Jay mumbled with a shake of his head. “I…he barley said two words to me and when I tried to touch his food to scoot it closer to him, he had a full blown panic attack because he was afraid I was going to take it away from him.”

 

Ben shook his head sadly, “I had no idea it would be this hard.”

 

“What did you _expect_ to happen?” Jay snapped. “They were raised by villains, Ben. They haven’t had an ounce of goodness in their lives and now they’re stuck here and we’re telling them they’re going to have to teach themselves how to blend in with us.”

 

“Jay, he was trying to do the right thing,” Evie soothed as she flashed her brother a small glance, his eyes full of regret. “They’ll learn, but they’re going to need our help. As much as we can give them. I’m not going to let the evil take over her life.”

 

“So, you’ll work with them?” Ben asked with shock in his voice.

 

“Yes.” Evie nodded.

 

“Yeah. I can’t leave that little dude to fend for himself, he’ll never make it.” Jay sneered as he leaned back against his seat, glancing towards Ben. “So, how exactly is this supposed to work? We just see them every day after school?”

 

“Or before. Whatever the two of you prefer.” Ben nodded as his lips twisted into a lopsided smile before he turned his attention to Evie. “Mom and dad don’t know that you’re going to be doing this…”

 

“So, you’re saying that I can’t tell them?” Evie demanded, Ben sheepishly nodding his head before catching sight of her smirk. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had a secret.”

 

“I wouldn’t keep this from them, but they’d…”

 

“They’d send them back in a heartbeat if they knew that they’re barely making any progress. We know.” Jay assured him with a small smile. “I’m sorry for exploding on you earlier, I’m glad you asked me to help.”

 

“I figured if anyone could help them, it’d be the two of you.” Ben shrugged as he leaned back in his seat, his gaze flickering between the two. “I know it’s going to be hard for awhile, but I can’t thank you enough for this.”

 

“You can start by doing my homework for a month.” Jay offered.

 

“Jay,” Evie giggled as she swatted at his chest, the boy chuckling at her response as she turned her attention to her brother. “Ben, we’re happy to help. After seeing Mal, I can’t imagine not helping her. She needs it.”

 

“Same with Carlos. Little dude is gonna need some serious help learning how to act like a normal human being.” Jay said with a shake of his head. “I swear he almost peed himself when I first walked in the room.”

 

“If Mal wouldn’t have had the magic cuffs on then she probably would’ve casted a curse on me. She’s not too fond of the fact that I’m a princess.” Evie admitted. “She also had a great time bringing up my…the Evil Queen.”

 

“She did what?” Ben demanded.

 

“She was only trying to hurt me.” Evie soothed as she waved off his concern. “Apparently, she and Carlos were raised by Jay and I’s parents. There’s no doubt in my mind that she was abused.”

 

“I’m pretty sure everyone who came off the Isle was abused.” Jay scoffed, his brown eyes full of sadness as he gave a hard swallow. “Carlos flinches at any move I make without telling him first. I can’t even shift in the chair without him freaking out.”

 

“It’s going to take a while,” Evie sighed. “But I’m going to give it my best shot.”

 

“Wouldn’t expect anything else from you guys.” Ben chuckled.

 

-

 

Another week passed with fair progress; for Jay, Carlos had come to slowly enjoy his visits and the boys now spent their time chatting in soft, subdued voices. Jay had learned not to be too forward with Carlos and knew to keep his distance, and to announce if he was going to move. It had taken some time, but Carlos had stopped panicking every time someone glanced his way and Jay took notice to the way his anxiety was slowly dwindling into something that only rose in situations when he felt like he was being boxed in.

 

For Evie, her journey with Mal had seemed to only just begin. She was still dealt lovely conversations of Mal cursing her and spitting out information about the Evil Queen that Evie would’ve preferred to never know of. But there were days when Mal would be quiet, the silence of the room only disturbed as Evie worked on her homework while chattering to Mal about things that the girl couldn’t care less about. Like clockwork, Evie and Jay said their goodbyes to each other as they sought out their usual rooms. Smiling to herself, Evie pushed the door of Mal’s room open and arched an eyebrow at the sight of Mal yanking at her chains.

 

“Still trying to free yourself?” Evie chirped.

 

“If you were in my situation then you’d be trying to do the same thing.” Mal snapped as she tugged harder on her wristband. “I don’t understand why they won’t let me out of these damn chains. I’m not going to do anything.”

 

“Mal,” Evie scoffed. “You bit a nurse yesterday…”

 

“She tried to take my tray of food away before I was done.” Mal mumbled as she furrowed her brow. “What did you expect me to do? I’m not sure if you’re aware, but being fed on the island was rare.”

 

“You shouldn’t worry about them taking your food, they wouldn’t do that.” Evie assured her as she shrugged off her backpack. “So, I’m pretty much swamped with math…wanna help me solve some of these problems?”

 

“Like I have a choice.” Mal grumbled.

 

Evie giggled as she pulled her books free from her backpack, the princess making herself comfortable against the wall beside Mal. Humming under her breath, Evie flipped through her notebook before finding her familiar scratch of numbers. She worked in silence while keeping a close eye on Mal as the girl eyed her cuffs with anger. She knew Mal had been trying to free herself, but Dr. Winters assured her there was no way for her to get out. Sometimes Evie wished Mal could outsmart them all.

 

“So,” Mal began. “You’re just going to keep coming back?”

 

“Didn’t I tell you that I would?” Evie frowned as she glanced up from the page, her eyes full of amusement. “I enjoy coming to spend time with you, Mal. It’s nice to get away from Auradon every now and then.”

 

“And why would you ever want to leave your precious palace?” Mal demanded as she rolled her eyes. “I mean, don’t all the kings horses and all the kings men wanna make you happy? I’m sure you have tons of things to entertain you.”

 

“I mean, I do. I could spend time with my other friends or attend one of my parents many, many dinner parties.” Evie hummed as she furrowed her brow slightly. “But it gets boring after awhile, y’know?”

 

“Look, the only repetition I had in my life was a daily beating for not stealing enough mirrors or lamps, princess.” Mal chuckled as she turned her head to stare at Evie. “So, no. I don’t really know what boring is.”

 

Evie gave a hard swallow before reaching out for Mal’s hand, “I’m so sorry.”

 

Mal tensed at the gentle touch against her hand, it was the first time that Evie had ever touched her. Mal didn’t know what to do with affection, that kind of touch only meant someone wanted something she refused to give up. Flinching at the softness, Mal tried to ignore the sudden fluttering she felt in her stomach as she quickly yanked her hand away. She was used to rough touches, hands that left bruises and welts. But Evie was gentle, always careful, and Mal couldn’t help but ache for the soft touch once more. Huffing to herself, Mal tried to clear her head as the anger boiled in her stomach.

 

Clenching her jaw, Mal turned her attention back to the cuffs locked around her wrist as she began to fiddle with the metal. Beneath the metal, Mal could feel her skin crawling with an itch that she longed to scratch and the need for freedom drove through her body. It was the magic, it was the fresh feeling of untouched strength. She had been stuck in the chains since the day she had arrived and every second was a little more torturous; every second, she could feel the frustration boiling to the surface just ready to pour out everywhere.

 

“Mother always says that apologies are for the weak so I don’t really need to hear one from you.” Mal hissed as she continued to tug at the chains. “The past is the past, forgive and forget…right?”

 

“I don’t really think it works like that.” Evie muttered.

 

“Then you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mal snapped as she yanked at the chain clipped to her cuff, the metal digging painfully into her skin. “I swear, the people of Auradon have their heads shoved so far up in the fucking clouds.”

 

“It’s peaceful being shoved in a cloud, nice and fluffy.” Evie teased with a small grin, Mal shooting her a dark look. “Oh come on, lighten up. What’s with you today? Your snark is a little more intense then it usually is.”

 

“You’ve known for a couple weeks,” Mal snapped. “You haven’t seen the best of my snark yet.”

 

Mal released a cry of frustration as she was once again denied the ability to free herself. Snapping her head towards Evie, the princess gasped as she was met with eyes that were full of a coldness she had never witnessed, Mal releasing a low growl. Evie scrambled back slightly as she made a move to stand, Mal tracking her gaze with practiced ease as her lips turned in a predatory snarl. Swallowing hard, Evie backed away from Mal as she tried to calm the fear that swam through her.

 

“Why won’t these things come off?” Mal growled as she stood from her spot on the wall, the girl lunging forward. “I’m not a prisoner. Release me.”

 

“Mal, this is for your own good,” Evie soothed. “We don’t have a choice.”

 

“ _We_?” Mal repeated, the disbelief coloring her tone. “What happened to you not being a part of this? What happen to you wanting to be my friend? You lied. You’re just like them, I should’ve known.”

 

“That wasn’t what I meant, Mal,” Evie whispered as she shook her head. “I’m not…I’m not like them, okay? I didn’t want you to be trapped here, I didn’t want to examine you, and I didn’t want to strip you of the life you knew. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”

 

“You’re sorry?” Mal repeated, a bark of laughter leaving her.

 

“If I could go back thirteen years then I would’ve made sure that you would’ve been freed from the Isle, even if I was only a kid myself.” Evie assured her. “I would’ve saved you from them, I would’ve kept them away.”

“Why can’t you just understand that you can’t fix me? You’re wasting your time.” Mal hissed, her eyes welling with tears of anger. “Can’t you see that? I don’t belong here. The Isle is where I was raised because it’s where I belong. I’m evil.”

 

“You can’t possibly believe that to be true.” Evie scoffed as she took a step closer to the younger girl, her gaze trailing a tear down Mal’s cheek. “Mal, you may not see the good in you but I do. I know it’s in there.”

 

“You’ve known me two weeks!” Mal snapped. “How can you know that?”

 

“Because I don’t believe you can be born evil, evil is something that has to be taught,” Evie explained. “And good is the same. You can choose to be good, Mal. I can show you how wonderful good can be.”

 

Mal tensed as she shook her head, “What if I mess it up?”

 

“Then you mess up and it’ll be okay.” Evie shrugged, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Everyone messes up now and then, Mal. It’s part of being alive. Nobody is perfect, okay? It may seem impossible now, but I promise you that you can find that goodness in your heart.”

Mal didn’t know if she believed it, it seemed too easy. Where was the trade? The threats? The orders? None of it made sense. How could this all work so easily? The anger seemed to leave Mal as quickly as it had come as her shoulders loosened, her hand coming up to swipe at the tears that had managed to fall. Evie took a hesitant step forward as she watched Mal, her heart pounding heavily against her chest.

 

“Take a deep breath.” Evie ordered as she hovered her hands over Mal’s shoulders before finally grasping onto them. “Hey, it’s me. Don’t whip your voodoo magic out on me, alright?”

 

“I could easily turn you into a pile of ash…” Mal warned.

 

“I believe you. You could also put a curse on me but,” Evie trailed off as she ran a hand down Mal’s arm before pressing her fingertips against the metal cuff. “This is kind of keeping you from doing that.”

 

Mal growled slightly, “Then take them off.”

 

“You know they’re not going to take them off until they can trust that you won’t go around cursing people.” Evie reminded her with a sad half-smile. “You have to learn to trust, Mal. I know it’s hard, but you’ll find that no one here is going to hurt you.”

 

Evie sucked in a breath of surprise as Mal’s orbs dimmed, her lips turning into a hesitant frown. After a moment, Mal finally gave in with a small nod as she backed away from the gentle affection Evie offered her. Mal collapsed back against the wall and slid down the length of it, the chains rattling around her as she settled. The girl allowed her head to fall back, her eyes closing as she drew her lower lip into her mouth and tried to fight back her building tears.

 

Tilting her head, Evie observed the younger girl for a long moment as she felt a familiar stirring in her heart. Pushing the feeling aside, the princess girl didn’t hesitate to copy Mal’s actions as she sunk down beside her and puffed out a long breath. Evie wiggled on the tiled floor in an effort to get comfortable as she rested her head against the wall, her brown eyes finding the side of Mal’s face as she watched the way the younger girl clenched her jaw.

 

“You’re gonna get out of here.” Evie whispered. “I promise.”

 

Mal slowly opened her eyes, “And until then?”

 

“Well, until then I’ll be here with you and I’ll help you get through it.” Evie offered with a bright smile on her face, Mal flashing her a look that showed her exhaustion. “You’re tired. You should take a nap. I can go.”

 

“No.” Mal yawned. “Stay.”

 

“Well, wouldn’t you prefer to sleep on the bed?” Evie frowned.

 

“I’m used to the floor.” Mal assured her.

 

Evie watched as the girl’s eyes fluttered shut and in the blink of an eye she was breathing softly. Staring at the girl, Evie took the time to freely admire how beautiful Mal actually was; underneath all that snark and anger was a girl just waiting to be freed. She knew that Mal had the ability to be good and she wasn’t going to leave her until she was able to find it. Smiling to herself, Evie leaned her head back against the wall as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut.

 

“Evie.”

 

The sound of her name sounded distant as she scrunched her brow completely unaware that the late afternoon she had spent with Mal had somehow slipped into the evening, the moon beginning to rise through the window on the far wall. Lashes fluttered as Evie slowly opened her eyes, a yawn catching in her throat as she tried to blink away the tiredness she felt. Lifting her head, Evie flashed Jay a small half-smile before going to lift her hand, the weight on her shoulder keeping her arm down. Furrowing her brow, Evie turned her head and felt her breath catch at the sight of Mal’s head resting peacefully on her shoulder. A rush passed through Evie’s stomach as she drew her lower lip into her mouth before glancing to her friend with a shy expression.

 

“Hey.” Evie whispered.

 

“It’s late.” Jay said as he stepped further into the room. “We need to get going.”

 

Evie gave a small nod as she reached down to settle a gentle hand against Mal’s thigh before tapping lightly against the sweatpants she wore. Mal gave a groan of protest as she turned further into Evie, her lower lip pouted as she furrowed her brow. The touch caused green eyes to pop open as she quickly lifted her head away from Evie’s shoulder and scrambled back a few inches, her gaze wild with slight fear as she looked from Evie to the stranger standing in her room; tensing, Mal scanned him over before growling. Mal hissed as she jumped from her spot against the wall, her body gliding to move in front of Evie slightly. Gaping, Evie looked to her best friend who stared back at the pair with a wide eyed expression on his face as he looked from an angered Mal to a surprised Evie.

 

“Who are you?” Mal snarled as her eyes glowed with an expression Evie had gotten used to, Evie jumping to her feet as she stood behind Mal. “What are you doing in here? Stay away from us.”

 

“Mal, this is Jay. I’ve told you about him.” Evie soothed as she reached out to press a gentle hand to Mal’s bicep. “He’s not going to do anything, he just came to tell me it’s time to go.”

 

“You could’ve approached in a less threatening manner.” Mal snapped as her body relaxed subtly. “What kind of person just barges into a room like that? And they say the kids on the island don’t learn any manners? I beg to differ.”

 

“Somebody is a little cranky.” Evie teased in a sing song tone as she leaned down to collect her backpack, Mal sparing her a glare. “I have to get going, I’ll see you tomorrow. Remember what I told you, okay? Be good.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah.”

 

Evie giggled as she brushed past Mal, Jay watching them with a wide eyed expression as he eagerly backed from the room. Glancing over her shoulder, Evie shot Mal a thumbs up sign and laughed as Mal sarcastically returned the gesture. Ducking into the hallway, Evie could feel her smile lingering as she glanced up to see Jay staring at her with a furrowed brow. Evie felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment as she tried to avoid the way his gaze swept over her, reading her so easily.

 

“What was that?” Jay demanded.

 

“What?” Evie scoffed as she hurried towards the exit.

 

“She protected you.” Jay pointed out, disbelief coloring his voice as he scrambled to keep up with the princess’s fast walk. “Do you know what this means, Eves? She’s connected to you. She trusts you.”

 

“I’ve been visiting her for two weeks, Jay.” Evie mumbled as she pushed the doors of the clinic open. “I’m not quite sure she trusts me, she was just startled by you. You did kind of come from nowhere.”

 

“She stood in front of you,” Jay snorted as he reached around the girl to pull the limo door open for her, the two crawling inside. “She was ready to rip me apart for even breathing the same air as you.”

 

“Let it go, Jay.” Evie ordered in a calm whisper.

 

“Evie…”

 

“Jay,” Evie snapped. “Please.”

 

Jay shook his head before grinning, “Wanna hear about my day with Carlos?”

 

Evie sucked in a breath as she gave a small nod before Jay began his usual spew of word vomit when it came to the boy who had stolen his time and attention. Leaning back against her seat, Evie tried to ignore the twinge that probed at her heart.

 

-

 

The exhaustion swam through her body as she wondered down the hallway of her dorm room. After the afternoon she had spent with Mal, she couldn’t wait to curl up in her bed and get some much earned sleep. It seemed that after the afternoon of Mal falling asleep on her shoulder, the visits that had followed had showed that Mal was still embarrassed by the occurrence; she had been short, annoyed, and rude to Evie. She told Evie about things she did, things that made her skin crawl. She hissed things out about the Evil Queen, about what she had planned for Evie when they were reunited.

 

But Evie had taken it all in stride, and had spent the last three days dealing with Mal’s anger towards absolutely nothing. Yawning, Evie smiled softly at the fact that it was finally Friday which meant she’d be able to sleep in. Careful not to smudge her makeup, Evie reached up to rub at her eye as she twisted the doorknob of her dorm and shoved into the wood; rolling her eyes, Evie watched as her brother pulled away from Audrey.

 

“It’s after hours, Benjamin,” Evie scolded. “You shouldn’t be here.”

 

Both Audrey and Ben worked to fix themselves as Audrey stood from her bed, smoothing her hands over the front of her dress. Evie chuckled as she set her backpack on her desk while Ben sat up on the bed with a sheepish grin and fixed his blazer.

 

“You’re back late.” Audrey noted. “Almost broke curfew.”

 

“I uh I was studying.” Evie replied with a small smile as she shrugged her jacket off, her gaze bouncing towards her brother. “So, what have you lovebirds been up to?”

 

“The usual. Making out and all that fun stuff.” Audrey teased with a wink, Evie scrunching her nose in disgust. “Actually, we’ve been discussing Ben’s upcoming coronation. I was thinking of having a gown made in yellow.”

 

“Not you too.” Evie whined.

 

Audrey frowned as she glanced to her boyfriend causing him to chuckle, “Evie is on a kick where she’s not too fond of the colors that our parents seem to love. I happen to think it’s hilarious since all she wears is blue.”

 

“I’ll have you know that it looks good with my skin tone.” Evie huffed as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, her gaze targeting on her brother. “Ben, I was actually wondering if we could talk about something. Alone.”

 

“Sure.” Ben nodded.

 

The boy stood from the bed and grabbed his backpack off Audrey’s desk before brushing a gentle kiss against her cheek as he trailed his sister into the hallway, brown eyes turning to lock with a familiar calm green.

 

“We need to talk about Mal…” Evie whispered.

 

“What about her?” Ben demanded. “Did something happen?”

 

“Nothing too serious.” Evie assured him with a wave of her hand. “She’s just been a little on edge because of the fact that she’s basically chained to the room. We need to talk to Dr. Winters about getting her released.”

 

“Evie,” Ben began, his tone hesitant. “Dr. Winters told me that he’s not quite ready to let Mal out of her chains, he says there’s still more work that needs to be done. We can’t rush her through this process.”

 

“Do you really think I want to rush her? You haven’t spent the three weeks listening to all the horrible things her mother and her lackeys have done to her.” Evie scoffed. “I just think she needs to have a sense of freedom.”

 

“We’re going to follow Dr. Winters’ orders,” Ben replied after a beat of silence, the boy tucking his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “For right now, she’s going to stay cuffed and then we’ll talk about letting her out in a few weeks or so.”

 

“Weeks?” Evie repeated. “No! That’s insane. She already dealt with being chained to a mother who beat her more than she fed her, she doesn’t need to be fixed by being locked to her room. She needs a chance to find her own footing.”

 

“And what happens when that footing leads to her casting a curse on someone? What if that someone is you?” Ben demanded. “Evie, I don’t want you getting hurt. I want her to have her freedom, I do…”

 

“Could’ve fooled me.” Evie grumbled.

 

“Evie,” Ben sighed as he pulled a hand from his pocket before resting a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “I promise you that she’ll be out of the cuffs soon, okay? She’ll get her freedom and then we’ll talk about transferring her here.”

 

“Okay.” Evie nodded.

 

“Okay?” Ben repeated as he squeezed her shoulder.

 

“Just promise me that she’ll make it here…” Evie pleaded as she glanced up at her brother, her brown eyes swimming with so much trust and innocence. “You have to promise me that you didn’t make a mistake bringing her here.”

 

Ben smiled as he moved his other hand to cup her shoulders, “I promise.”

 

Evie sucked in a breath at her brother’s calm voice and like so many times before she sought out his familiar comfort as she folded into his arms, the boy chuckling as he curled her into a much needed embrace.

 

-

 

Evie sighed in frustration as she hurried from her Chemistry class, the girl flashing her phone a glance and wincing at the time. She was late to meet Jay and she knew he was going to be irritated that she had kept him waiting. And then she heard it, the desperate call of her name. Rolling her eyes, Evie barely spared a glance over her shoulder as she continued to rush through the quad before she felt a hand curl around her arm. Evie huffed as she was jerked to a stop before being whirled around to face a charming smile.

 

“Chad.” Evie greeted in a monotone.

 

“Evie, where have you been lately?” Chad demanded as he released her arm before peeking up through his eyelashes. “I’ve been looking for you on campus but you never seem to be around.”

 

“Mm, there’s a reason for that,” Evie replied with a small shrug, Chad staring at her with a look of frustration as he gave a small scoff. “Chad, I don’t know what you want but I have some place to be and I can’t…”

 

“When are we going to get back together?”

 

“What?” Evie exclaimed, her eyebrows popping up in surprise. “Chad, why would we get back together? If you don’t remember, you were dating me while trying to screw up my brother’s relationship with Audrey.”

 

“That was a mistake…” Chad mumbled.

 

“I’m glad you realize that.” Evie shrugged. “Now, I have to go.”

 

Evie turned and began to hurry through the throngs of people standing around giggling; they carried on not knowing how good they had it. She had been like that. Blissfully ignorant. She had once been so worried about her tiaras matching her outfits, and having the perfect boyfriend to show off. Rolling her eyes, Evie heard the annoying voice of her ex-boyfriend as he followed behind her whining her name every few seconds.

 

“Oh come on,” Chad whined as he trailed behind Evie, the blue-haired girl clenching her jaw. “So we didn’t work out the first time? This time will be different.”

 

“Different how?” Evie scoffed.

 

Chad sped up his walk so he could stand in front of Evie with a pout, “I’ve changed. I’m over my crush on Audrey and I know that she loves your brother. I promise that I won’t be a jerk this time, Evie.”

 

“The answer is still no, Chad.” Evie said as she paused in her walk, her brown eyes flashing with annoyance. “Now, like I said a thousand times, I would like you to get out of my way and stay away from me.”

 

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on.” Chad sneered as he pointed a finger at her, Evie staring at it for a moment with a scowl. “This is the last time that I’m going to ask you to get back together with me.”

 

“I’m really happy about that.” Evie smiled as she tilted her head. “I’ll see you around?”

 

“I doubt it.”

Shaking her head, Evie brushed past the Charming boy and hurried to where she could make out the shape of Jay leaning against a tree. Glancing over her shoulder, Evie watched as Chad vanished into a group of friends leaving her to run towards Jay. As she expected, Jay looked anxious and impatient. The moment he saw her, he threw his arms up in annoyance while her face lit up with a blush.

 

“Hey,” Evie panted. “Sorry I’m late.”

 

“Yeah, we were supposed to be at the clinic ten minutes ago.” Jay frowned as he pushed off the tree, the boy reaching out to grab Evie’s backpack. “What in the hell is in here?”

 

“I’m bringing some books for Mal.” Evie shrugged as the two began their walk to where their limo was waiting for them. “I thought it might give her something to do other than staring at the walls or TV for hours at a time.”

 

“That’s actually a good idea. I might have to look into getting something for Carlos, maybe a video game or something.” Jay nodded. “So, today is the day she gets let out of her cuffs, right? You scared?”

 

“Scared of her? No. Not at all.” Evie replied with a quick shake of her head. “I’m just scared _for_ her. I’m afraid that the magic is going to be too tempting for her and she’s going to hurt herself or someone else.”

 

“I’m sure she’s going to be okay. I mean, you were. I bet they put her on the same pills you are on to repress her urges.” Jay smiled as he opened the door for her. 

 

Evie sucked in a calming breath as she flashed him a smile before the two scurried into the limo and hurried off to where Carlos and Mal were waiting. The ride was silent as the two pondered about the changes that had been made. It had been five weeks since Ben had removed the villains from the Isle of the Lost and it had been almost four weeks since Evie and Jay had begun to spend their evenings and days off with them.

Jay had made tremendous progress with Carlos and the boy was finally starting to open to him, starting to have a spark in his eyes. They spent their time talking about everything from school to the fears that Carlos had. He learned about the things Carlos did to survive, the things he had to give and take. He learned about the bruises, the broken bones, the blood. All of it. But he also learned the good things, like how smart Carlos was. A small smile pulled at Jay’s lips as he thought of the boy who had come tumbling into his life; from Carlos’ messy white curls to the hesitant smile he sometimes wore as he chattered shyly to Jay about life.

 

It was a welcomed change and Jay couldn’t have been happier with the progress they had made. Dr. Winters had talked to him and let him know that it was only going to be a matter of time before Carlos was released to go to school. Sitting across from the smiling boy, Evie stared out at the passing scenery as she thought about the girl who had consumed her thoughts since the moment she had met her all those weeks ago.

 

Mal was something that Evie had never expected, but something she welcomed. It had taken some time, but Evie could tell that she was slowly breaking through Mal’s brick walls and it was only a matter of time before she was completely through. It seemed with each day, more of Mal’s personality seeped through and Evie was having a hard time keeping up with the changes; Mal had gone from cursing her existence to flirting with Evie with a smirk on her face. Evie supposed it had to do with the fact that she had gained Mal’s trust and she had even convinced Mal to allow the staff to examine her; every day it seemed like Mal got a little better and it made Evie’s heart swell.

 

“Eves?”

 

Evie jumped as she glanced to Jay, “Yeah?”

 

“Do you…how do you feel about Mal?” Jay asked, his gaze glued to the window as they neared the clinic. “I mean, do you think of her as your friend or just some girl you’re helping?”

 

“I think of her as my friend. It’s taken a while, but I think I can call what we have a friendship.” Evie nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. “I’m always excited to see her, and she makes me happy.”

 

Jay nervously bit at his lower lip, “She makes you happy how?”

 

“She makes me happy in the way that a friend does, I suppose.” Evie hummed, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the boy. “Why so many questions? What’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know.” Jay admitted in a soft whisper. “I think I’m confused.”

 

“About?”

 

“My feelings.” Jay mumbled with a slight blush, the boy reaching up to pull his beanie over his face as he groaned. “I sound like such a princess right now! My feelings? Really?”

 

“Hey, I take offense to that!” Evie huffed as she pouted her lower lip. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with acknowledging or talking about your feelings. I happen to think it makes you a better person.”

 

“So…” Jay trailed off as he lifted his beanie to stare at Evie. “So, if I wanted to talk to you about my feelings you wouldn’t make fun of me or think that I’m being stupid about them?”

 

“Jay, you’re my best friend. You’re practically my brother. I will never think you’re stupid for having feelings.” Evie assured him. “So, who are these feelings for exactly?”

 

A blush crept up Jay’s neck, “Maybe Carlos.”

 

“What?” Evie gasped as her eyes widened.

 

“I knew you’d flip!” Jay whined as he threw his hands up. “I-I don’t even know what they are, okay? I mean, of course I’ve thought guys were cute before, I thought your brother was hot when we were thirteen…”

 

“Ew.” Evie muttered.

 

“But this is different. I think.” Jay sighed. “I just want to take care of him, y’know? I want to protect him, but I also want to be around him all the time. He makes me…he makes me feel like a better person, I guess.”

 

“Jay, we’ve been spending a lot of time with them,” Evie began in a soft voice. “We have bonds with them, bonds that nobody else does, it’s easy to confuse those feelings for something else.”

 

“That’s what I thought at first.” Jay mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “But it’s not that. It’s not the bond. It’s something else. Something deeper than that. I think I really like him, Evie.”

 

Evie hesitated for a long moment, “We can’t, Jay.”

 

“We?” Jay repeated.

 

“You.” Evie corrected as she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You can’t go there right now, he’s nowhere near ready for that. A relationship is a thousand miles out of his reach right now.”

 

Jay deflated slightly, “I figured.”

 

“That’s not to say that things can’t change in the future. They just need time to heal, Jay. As much as we both want them to be perfect and ready, they’re still trying to figure everything out.” Evie whispered.

 

“So you dig her too then?” Jay smirked.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Evie scoffed as she turned her head to avoid the bleed of embarrassment in her cheeks. “She may flirt with me, but I don’t return the gesture.”

 

“Whatever you say, Eves.” Jay snorted.

 

The limo came to a stop in front of the familiar clinic and the teens collided with each other as they eagerly dove towards the door. At the last minute, Jay shouldered past Evie as he scrambled from the ride and hurried towards the doors. Huffing, Evie grabbed her backpack before trailing behind her best friend as they walked into the building. Dr. Winters smiled softly as he caught sight of the two approaching, the man setting his clipboard aside.

 

“Hello, you two.” Dr. Winters chirped. “Good day?”

 

“Yeah.” Jay nodded. “I’m gonna go see Carlos.”

 

The boy was off without another word as he rushed down the hallway before vanishing into a familiar room leaving Evie to giggle as she turned to see Dr. Winters staring at her with a spark in his gaze.

 

“She was released from her cuffs,” Dr. Winters grinned, the man chuckling at the large smile that appeared on Evie’s face. “She did remarkable. Better than we would’ve expected.”

 

“No magic?” Evie demanded.

 

“Not even a mutter of a spell. She let us take them off and then went back to bed.” Dr. Winters nodded as he picked up his clipboard, scanning it over. “She’s eating at a healthy pace, her weight is up, and she’s more trusting with the staff…you’ve done amazing with her.”

 

“It’s nothing.” Evie blushed.

 

“Evie, the things you and Jay have done for Mal and Carlos is something that I’ve never seen before.” Dr. Winters admitted. “You two have saved them and you should be happy about it, you should take pride in it.”

 

“I’ll try.” Evie grinned. “I’m gonna go see Mal.”

 

The princess girl wiggled her fingers at the doctor as she wondered her way down the halls, her gaze peeking into the room in time to catch sight of Jay reaching out to catch one of Carlos’ hands in his own causing the boy to smile. They looked so happy, so at peace. She hoped things would work for Jay, he deserved it. Humming under her breath, Evie continued down the hall before rapping her knuckles against the door and pushing her way in. A beam lit up her face as she was greeted with the sight of Mal laid out on her bed.

 

“Being lazy, I see.”

 

Mal popped up at the voice as she smirked, “Being a princess still, I see.”

 

“That’s the best you’ve got? You’ve lost your edge.” Evie teased as she shrugged off her backpack, dropping it onto the table in the corner of the room. “It’s nice to see you without any cuffs on. How’s it feel?”

 

“It feels like a little bit of my freedom has been returned to me.” Mal admitted as she pressed a gentle hand to her healing wrist, the girl wincing slightly. “But it also makes my craving for magic a little stronger.”

 

“Hey,” Evie whispered as she crossed the room to sit on the edge of Mal’s bed, her brown eyes bright with sympathy. “You’re stronger than your magic, okay? Don’t let it consume you. You can do this.”

 

“Thanks for the pep talk, coach.” Mal snorted as she rolled her bright green orbs. “Believe it or not, I don’t think I’ll be using magic anytime soon. First of all, they took my mom’s spell book away and second of all, I kinda wanna get out of here.”

 

“I kinda want you to get out of here too.” Evie grinned as she scrunched her nose. “Think of how much fun it’ll be once you’re at Auradon Prep. You can go to Tourney games and watch me cheer. It’ll be great.”

 

“Why am I not surprised that you’re a cheerleader?” Mal scoffed.

 

“My parents wanted Ben and I to join a sport so I went for cheerleading and he plays Tourney.” Evie shrugged with a small smile. “I actually quite enjoy cheerleading.”

 

“Well,” Mal purred, her eyebrow arching. “Would I get to see you in your uniform?”

 

Evie frowned in confusion, “Um, yes.”

 

“And do you wear short skirts with this uniform?” Mal asked with a curious expression, Evie narrowing her eyes slowly before she gave a small nod. “Well, then I guess these games will be worth attending.”

 

“Well, I’m glad that you could…” Evie trailed off as she gaped for a moment before reaching out to nudge Mal’s shoulder, the younger girl releasing a low chuckle of amusement. “You are uninvited to the games.”

 

“No, no. You made them sound so appealing. I’ll definitely be there.” Mal smirked as she licked her lips, her green eyes flashing when she noticed Evie’s gaze flicker down to her lips. “I wouldn’t want to miss you shaking your…pompoms.”

 

“Okay, we’re changing the subject.” Evie laughed as she stood from the bed to grab her backpack, the girl unzipping it as she glanced over her shoulder. “So, I brought you a present. Well, a few presents.”

 

“Present?” Mal repeated. “Never had one of those.”

 

Evie tensed at the confession as she tried to hide the sadness that swept through her body. Her heart always broke when Mal made side comments like that, it killed her to know that Mal wasn’t given the life she deserved. She didn’t know what a birthday was or how celebrate holidays. She hadn’t ever tasted real milk, just spoiled chunks. She didn’t even have her own bed, just a closet. Forcing a smile onto her face, Evie spun around to reveal the pile of books that were cradled in her arms. The excitement that had shone on Mal’s face slowly dwindled as she tilted her head in silent question.

 

“Oh. Books.” Mal mumbled.

 

“They’re exciting books, I read a lot of them over the summer.” Evie explained as she crossed the room to spill them onto the bedspread. “I thought it might give you something to do while you’re here.”

 

“What? Why would I need to do something when I can just stare at the ceiling for hours at a time or stare at that TV thing?“ Mal sneered as she reached for one, thumbing through the pages with a look of slight boredom. “Thanks.”

 

Evie arched an eyebrow, “You don’t like it?”

 

“No, it’s…thank you.” Mal muttered as she lifted her head to stare at Evie. “I just don’t really know how to respond, y’know? I’m used to my gifts being a beating or a scrap of food to last me a week.”

 

“Well, those aren’t the kinds of gifts I give.” Evie replied once she had managed to calm down the lump of sadness that had risen in her throat. “I like to give gifts that are meaningful. Like, this one for example…”

 

Mal furrowed her brow as she glanced at Evie in time to catch her unfolding her hand, a silver object resting on her palm. Tilting her head, Mal shot Evie a glance of confusion before slowly reaching out for the item. A nervous expression crossed Mal’s face as she slowly took the offered item from Evie, her face twisting into a scowl as she touched the cool silver before lifting her head to stare at the taller girl grinning at her.

 

“What is this?” Mal demanded.

 

“It’s a kiss.”

 

“What?” Mal sneered. “No it’s not.”

 

“It’s a chocolate kiss, Mal,” Evie giggled as she reached to pluck the item from Mal’s grasp, the girl quickly peeling away the foil before offering it to the girl. “You haven’t had chocolate before?”

 

“Oh yes. Tons. My mother showered me in chocolate all the time. Especially for that day you call my birthday, I had lots of chocolate then.” Mal snapped as she narrowed her eyes. “Oh wait, that wasn’t me! That was _you_.”

 

“Mal,” Evie scolded as she offered the candy to her friend. “Don’t be mean.”

 

Mal mumbled a few choice words under her breath before she reached to snatch the candy from Evie’s palm, the girl popping it into her mouth and chewing for a long moment before her eyes brightened. Evie couldn’t resist the grin that appeared on her face at the sudden burst of happiness that shone on Mal’s face, the girl chewing eagerly before she licked at her fingers and glanced at Evie with want in her gaze. It was the first time Mal had really and truly shown her awe, her surprise. It was adorable.

 

“ _That_ was chocolate?” Mal scoffed. “It was amazing!”

 

“Well, then it’s a good thing I brought you a bag of it.” Evie chuckled as she held up a small bag full of treats, Mal happily reaching for them with wiggling fingers. “Don’t eat it all of it at once, Mal. You’ll get sick.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes before she finally latched her hands onto the bag and her fingers quickly reaching for more chocolate as she popped it into her mouth.

 

“Mal,” Evie sighed with a roll of her eyes. “You have to peel off the foil.”

 

“Why is it so complicated?” Mal whined.

 

“It’s not.” Evie giggled as she reached to take the bag of chocolates from Mal’s hand, the younger girl pouting in protest. “You know, my mom used to give me one of these every night before bed. It was our special thing.”

 

“My mom’s special thing to give me at night was a rock to rest my head on.” Mal grumbled as she kept a close eye on the girl unraveling the silver from the chocolate. “Sometimes, Carlos would steal furs for us to sleep on.”

 

Evie paused as she glanced at Mal, “I’m so sorry.”

 

“Hey, that’s life. You learn to live with it.” Mal shrugged as she held her hands out and stretched her fingers towards the girl who offered her the small candy. “Now, give me my chocolate. I’ve earned it.”

 

“You’ve earned it?” Evie repeated with a chuckle.

 

“Yeah, I was good and they let me out of my cuffs.” Mal pointed out as she jammed the candy into her mouth, her eyes closing as the taste settled on her tongue. “Mm, these things are amazing.”

 

“There’s a whole lot of that outside of these four walls.” Evie grinned with a small wink. “So, now that you’ve been freed from the cuffs, the next step is getting out of here and joining the rest of us at Auradon Prep.”

 

“You know,” Mal hummed as she sucked a line of chocolate from her thumb before narrowing her eyes. “As appealing as that all sounds, I’m still not sure Auradon Prep is the best place for me to go.”

 

Evie shrugged before handing Mal her bag of chocolate back, “Well, if you go to Auradon Prep then you’ll be with me.”

 

“That’s a small plus.” Mal nodded.

 

Evie chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and admired the way Mal snacked happily on her candy; she could tell that it was only a matter of time before Mal was freed from the clinic and able to join the real world.

 

She couldn’t wait.

 

-

 

Mal glanced around the corner with a hesitant expression, her eyes narrowing as she watched patients roaming freely through the halls. Creeping slowly around the wall, Mal continued to stare at people as she walked along. It was the first day that she had been given privileges to leave her room and Mal hadn’t wasted anytime bursting out of her room and scurrying along the halls, but now she wasn’t so sure she liked it. There were so many people spread around the spacious building and she could sense them staring at her with expressions that let her know they knew exactly who she was and exactly what she was doing there.

 

“Mal?”

 

The familiar voice caused her to whirl around as she glanced into a room, her eyes widening as she watched Carlos hesitantly stand from the couch. It seemed like they had been apart forever. But there he stood, his brown orbs dancing to the people watching TV alongside him. Closing the distance between himself and his oldest friend, Carlos scanned his gaze over the girl and took in every change that had been made; with a smile, Mal reached for his hand and the two traded a light fist bump.

 

“Carlos.” Mal smiled.

 

“You look better.” Carlos noted in a soft whisper. “Still pale, but better.”

 

Mal huffed, “Cute.”

 

“Where have you been?” Carlos demanded as the pair cautiously moved towards an abandoned table, a half played game of checkers resting before them. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

 

“They kept me in my room. They had some weird unbreakable anti-magic cuffs on me.” Mal grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “I was able to move freely around the room, but they didn’t remove the cuffs until last week.”

 

“That sucks.” Carlos sighed as he pushed a checker along the board.

 

“What was I supposed to expect when I got here? It’s not like I was hoping for warm homemade cookies and hugs.” Mal snorted. “I mean, I practically got that in the form of a human but that’s besides the point.”

 

“A human cookie?”

 

“Yeah, the princess of Auradon has been visiting me.” Mal snorted.

 

“As in the Evil Queen’s daughter?” Carlos gaped.

 

“The one and only, but she’d sooner cut out her own tongue then admit to being the spawn of the Evil Queen.” Mal said with a look of annoyance on her face. “So, who did you get stuck with? Her brother?”

 

“No. His name is Jay.” Carlos blushed.

 

“Why do you look like that?” Mal demanded as she noted his expression, her eyes narrowing at the boy. “Please tell me that you’re not falling under his charm, Carlos. I thought you were smarter than that!”

 

“I’m not falling under anything.” Carlos whispered as he adverted his gaze.

 

“I can see it all over your face, you’re totally into this guy.” Mal chuckled as she scanned his blushing face over. “I’m not surprised, we aren’t exactly experts at relationships. The most we had on the island were a few gropes and sloppy make out sessions.”

 

“ _You_ may have had that.” Carlos muttered as he looked nervously at the girl, his brown eyes full of hesitance. “Your mom let you out more than mine did, the only time I was out of the house was when I was hunting down more furs for her.”

 

Mal arched an eyebrow, “You haven’t had your first kiss?”

 

“I never said that!” Carlos protested with a wide eyed expression, the boy cowering in his seat subtly as he noticed the small glances he attracted from other patients. “I’ve had my first kiss, but that’s it.”

 

“So, you don’t know what an attraction feels like?” Mal asked, Carlos giving a short nod in reply. “Well, I suppose you’ll find out soon. So, tell me about him. What makes him so special?”

 

“Jay is…”

 

“Hot?” Mal teased with a look of amusement.

 

“That is not what I was going to say!” Carlos hissed, his cheeks lighting up with a familiar blush. “He’s different. He makes me feel safe, I haven’t had that in a long time. He makes me feel better about myself.”

 

“You always were a softie at heart.” Mal sighed with a roll of her eyes, the girl leaning back in her seat and kicking her feet up on the table. “I wish I could say the same, but Evie just…annoys me.”

 

“I don’t believe you.” Carlos frowned as he kept a close eye on the people spread through the room. “I know you. You like this girl, whether you want to admit it or not.”

 

“You don’t know a damn thing.” Mal growled as she tensed, her orbs flashing causing Carlos to cower in his seat, the girl sucking in a breath of surprise. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

 

“Oh yeah, she’s making you soft.” Carlos snorted, the fear still evident in his tone as he allowed a nervous grin to pull at the corners of his lips. “In all ten years of our friendship, you’ve never apologized to me.”

 

“Me apologizing has nothing to do with Evie.” Mal snapped. “Apparently, according to others, apologizing is something that is _expected_ in Auradon. I thought I should probably practice the dreadful task.”

 

“It’s not that hard, y’know?” Carlos noted. “Being good.”

 

“You can’t be seriously thinking that there’s a chance we’re going to possibly be able to turn good.” Mal laughed, the mirth brightening her gaze. “Carlos, we were _raised_ to be evil. A few weeks in Auradon isn’t going to change that.”

 

“I’d like to thing there’s a chance that I can choose to be good.” Carlos whispered as he ducked his head, his brown eyes swimming with confusion. “It seems easier. Jay says that it’s better, it’ll make me happier.”

 

“Jay doesn’t know what he…”

 

“Maybe it’s _you_ who doesn’t know, Mal,” Carlos cut in. “We’ve been here for a month and we’ve met some really awesome people, and they’re good. Our moms were wrong, the people in Auradon don’t look down on us.”

 

“We’ve only met a handful of people, Carlos,” Mal reminded him. “Eventually, we’re being booted out of here and dropped into the hands of Auradon Prep. We’ll see how those perky little princesses take to us.”

 

“Evie is a princess and she doesn’t seem to mind you…”

 

“It’s because she doesn’t have the right to judge.” Mal grumbled. “She came from the exact same place we did, she just managed to avoid being dealt the shitty hand of having our remarkable parents.”

 

Carlos fidgeted for a moment before he straightened his shoulders and stared at his longtime friend, “I think that we shouldn’t make any decisions till we’re out of here, we can’t judge till we’re at school.”

 

“You know,” Mal began, a small rare smile sliding across her face. “I’m thinking Jay might actually be good for you, for the first time ever you’re actually standing up for yourself. You seem…less anxious.”

 

“Like I said, he just makes me feel comfortable. He’s helping me realize that the people here aren’t anything like the people on the island.” Carlos shrugged. “It’s nice, having someone who knows what the island is like but also kinda doesn’t.”

 

“And it doesn’t bother you that his dad had a hand in our upbringing?”

 

“No. It’s not like Jay wanted that to happen.” Carlos frowned before furrowing his brow. “But it is kinda weird. It makes me think how different my life could’ve been if they would’ve found me when they were helping the kids.”

 

“Helpinf?” Mal snorted. “More like kidnapping.”

 

“They gave them a better life, Mal. Like they’re doing for us.” Carlos pointed out, the frustration seeping into his tone as he shot the girl a glance. “I wish you would just see that already.”

 

Mal simply clenched her jaw. She was not up for having this argument. But like a blessing personally sent for her, Mal blew out a breath of sigh relief when she caught sight of dark blue locks, curious brown eyes peeking into the room before Evie’s face split into a beam that Mal feared hurt her.

 

“Hi.” Evie beamed as she approached the pair.

 

“Princess.” Mal purred.

 

Evie rolled her eyes at the girl’s response before she turned her attention to Carlos, her brown eyes lit with happiness. Stepping forward, Evie hesitated for only a beat before slowly offering her hand to the boy. Staring at the offered limb, Carlos shared a quick look with Jay who shrugged in silent response leaving the younger boy to ponder for a moment before he finally gave Evie’s hand a firm shake.

 

“Hi, I’m Evie.”

 

“C-Carlos.”

 

“It’s so nice to meet you, Carlos. I’ve heard so much about you.” Evie grinned as she released his hand, the boy curling it into his lap. “You know, I really like your hair. And your freckles. I wish I had freckles.”

 

“What did I tell you?” Mal mumbled as she glanced to Carlos. “Human cookie.”

 

“So, checkers?” Evie asked as she nodded towards the game, Mal rolling her eyes as she dropped her feet off the table. “Do you know how to play?”

 

“Believe it or not, I do.” Mal replied as she glanced up to see Jay watching her, the boy staring at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity. “What about you? Do you know how to play checkers, jungle boy?”

 

“I’m Jay.” The boy mumbled as he offered his hand to Mal.

 

“I do believe we’ve already had the displeasure of meeting once before.” Mal hissed as she stared down at Jay’s offered hand, the girl turning away from him. “Nice of you to introduce yourself this time.”

 

“Mal,” Evie sighed. “Be nice.”

 

“Nice?” Mal repeated as she arched an eyebrow, the girl turning her head to watch the way Evie flashed a look of amusement her way. “I don’t know what that is nor do I _want_ to know what it is.”

 

Evie simply shook her head while Jay moved to drop in the seat beside Carlos, the boys watching as the girls lost themselves in a game of checkers that seemed to show both Evie and Mal’s competitive sides.

 

“What the…?” Mal huffed. “How did you do that?”

 

“Ben and I played a lot of checkers growing up. Well, we played checkers when we weren’t being forced to play chess.” Evie explained as she glanced at Mal with a smirk. “I’m kind of an expert at this.”

 

“You could’ve warned me about that before we started playing.” Mal hissed as she scanned her gaze over the board, the younger girl throwing her hands up in frustration. “You’ve taken like half of my checkers!”

 

“You’re so cute.” Evie giggled.

 

“What? I am…that’s not funny.” Mal snapped, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she leaned forward to snap a checker down on an empty square. “We need to get one thing straight, princess…I am _not_ cute.”

 

“I beg to differ.” Evie teased as she nudged her foot against Mal’s, the younger girl simply puffing out her cheeks as she returned her attention back to her game of checkers. “Oh, and king me.”

 

“Don’t you have enough crowns in your life?” Mal grumbled as she slammed a red checker on top of one of Evie’s. “Can’t you let the peasant win a stupid checkers game? Aren’t you supposed to be the fairest of them all?”

 

Evie tensed, “I don’t know what you mean.”

 

Jay froze at Evie’s tone, his back straightening as he slowly unfolded his arms and prepared himself to get his friend out of the situation; sitting up in his chair, Jay opened his mouth to speak while Carlos glanced to Jay, sensing the heaviness behind the statement.

 

“My bad.” Mal mumbled.

 

“That’s okay.” Evie shrugged as she focused her attention on the checkers board, her hand reaching out to drag one of her pieces to another square. “You might want to pay attention, I’m about to kick your butt.”

 

Mal stared at Evie and noticed the way the girl forced a moment of eye contact as a small smile curved at her lips, the younger girl returning the look with a slight grimace before she gave a short nod. Jay watched the interaction between Mal and Evie with a close eye, his glances tracking each move Evie made while his jaw clenched every time he heard a sarcastic comment slip easily from Mal’s lips. Staring at his best friend, he noticed the way the princess was staring at Mal with adoration in her gaze and he couldn’t help but shake his head and realize the mess he and his best friend had gotten themselves into. They had been sent to help heal Mal and Carlos, asked to teach them to trust and that good was okay but instead Jay realized that all he and Evie had done was manage to fall for two people they shouldn’t have.

 

“Jay, wanna play me next?” Carlos asked in a soft whisper.

 

Jay glanced to the boy and flashed a lopsided grin, “Definitely.”

 

-

 

“Good afternoon.”

 

Mal glanced up in surprise to see Evie walk into the room, “What are you doing here?”

 

“Well, I’m happy to see you too.” Evie scoffed as she closed the door behind herself before shrugging off her purse. “My family had some stuff to take care of this morning in town so I thought I’d go with them and come see you.”

 

“You chose to spend a Saturday with me instead of doing something exciting?” Mal chuckled as she set her newly acquired book aside. “You know, I don’t know if I should call you a loser or thank you.”

 

“I think you should go with the latter.” Evie replied as she crossed the room to plop down on Mal’s bad, glancing curiously at the book that lay face down in front of her folded legs. “What is that?”

 

Mal snatched it up before holding it to her chest, “Nothing.”

 

“Mal,” Evie frowned. “What is that?”

 

“It’s my mom’s…well, _my_ spell book. I swiped it the other day when Dr. Winters was busy with someone else.” Mal mumbled as she dropped the book, Evie staring at it with a look of slight worry. “It’s not a big deal.”

 

“You’re not supposed to have that, Mal.” Evie reminded her as she chewed nervously at her lower lip. “Dr. Winters said you’re supposed to be without magic until you’re out of here and then you’d work with the Fairy Godmother on getting it back.”

 

“Well, I don’t have the patience to wait that long. It’s not like I’m planning on casting any spells or brewing any potions. I just wanted to do some light reading.” Mal assured her with a look of irritation. “Relax.”

 

“I just don’t think you having this is a good idea.” Evie sighed as she reached for the book, turning the pages to face her as she scanned the words over. “Do you even know how to perform any of these spells?”

 

“Being that I know how to _read_ , yes I know how to perform them.” Mal sneered as she tugged the book from Evie’s grasp. “Honestly, I was looking for a spell that would cast a light so my room wouldn’t be so dark at night.”

 

“Why don’t you just ask Dr. Winters to keep your lights on at night?”

 

“Because I’m not a five-year-old, Evie,” Mal blushed as she thumbed through the spell book. “I’d rather find something than ask a nurse to keep my lights on because the dark makes me freak out.”

 

“I think you should just talk to Dr. Winters instead of resorting to using magic.” Evie frowned as she squirmed on the bed slightly, tugging at the sleeve of her jacket. “You’re not going to know how to control it till you’ve worked with Fairy Godmother.”

 

“I don’t need to know how to bippity boppity bullshit, I can do magic just fine.” Mal assured her with a shrug of her shoulders. “I just…I don’t want to be scared at night anymore, okay? It’d be nice to have some source of light.”

 

Evie caught sight of Mal’s unease and smiled softly, “Have you found anything?”

 

“Really?” Mal demanded.

 

“I mean, I’m not crazy about the idea but if you find something safe and something that’s small then I don’t see why it should be a problem.” Evie replied as she chewed anxiously at her lower lip. “Just keep it small, okay?”

 

Mal beamed, “You’re not so bad, princess.”

 

“Oh, shut up.” Evie giggled.

 

“Not nice. Where’s your goodness?” Mal teased as she flicked through the book before running a finger down a page, her green eyes rising to meet brown. “I found this spell that can create a small fire.”

 

“A _fire_?” Evie repeated. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

 

“I mean, I’m not positive but I figure if it’s in my hand then I can control it, right?” Mal mumbled as she scanned the spell over, her head tilting as she read the words over. “Do you think I should give it a shot?”

 

“ _Now_?”

 

“Well, yeah. That way I can say that you influenced me into it and I won’t get in too much trouble if we get caught.” Mal snickered as she stood from the bed. “So, all I have to do is say the spell and open my palm…”

 

Evie jumped up as she caught sight of the determination on Mal’s face, the princess backing away slightly in order to put distance between them. Scanning the page over, Mal gave a sharp nod as she read the words once more. Clearing her throat, Mal glanced nervously towards Evie who was fidgeting with the sleeves of her jacket once more before reaching up to shyly tuck a dark strand of hair behind her ear, the anxiety clear on her face.

 

“Okay.” Mal mumbled. “Fire, fire give me light. Bring the flame to my sight.”

 

The spell filled the air and Evie arched an eyebrow at the words, her gaze locked on Mal’s closed fist as the purple-haired girl slowly lifted it up in the air before unfolding her fingers, both girls staring at her empty palm. Evie pouted, disappointed that it hadn't worked. She knew she should feel relieved, but any type of magic always got her excited, it always tapped into her hidden roots.

 

“I don’t think it…” Mal paused giving a sharp gasp. “Whoa!”

 

Evie’s eyes widened in awe as she watched a ball of fire grow in the palm of Mal’s hand, the girl staring at it with a look of amazement as she turned her attention to Evie with an excited beam on her face. The happiness in Mal faded as quickly as it had come as she felt the sparks jumping from the fire ball in her hand, the girl jumping back as they continued to bounce free while creating small sparks on the floor. Mal shook her hand free of the flame and watched as it moved against the ground and freely into the air, Evie watching in shock as it rolled easily as if it was simply a Tourney ball rather than a ball of destruction.

 

“Mal, control it!”

 

The ball jumped forward suddenly causing Evie to release a scream of surprise it raced up her arms, clinging to the thin material of her blazer. Gasping, Evie ripped her jacket off and hissed as the flames licked eagerly at her hands. Stumbling back, Evie leaned back against the wall as Mal yelled something that caused the fire to dwindle away. Clutching her hands to chest, Evie bit her lip to keep the cries of pain from spilling from her mouth.

 

“Evie…” Mal whispered.

 

“Get Dr. Winters, Mal.” Evie whimpered.

 

Mal hesitated for only a beat before turning to rush from the room, Evie allowing her head to fall back as she cradled her shaking hands to her stomach. Sucking in a calming breath, Evie squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to fight through the pain. The door flying open caught her attention and she glanced up to see two nurses moving towards her with a quick flutter of movement, Dr. Winters guiding Mal back into the room with a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

“Evie, are you okay?” Dr. Winters asked.

 

“Um, yeah. It just…hurts.” Evie mumbled as each nurse took a hand in their own, both eyeing the welts with concern in their expressions. “It was an accident, I’m the one who told her to try something out.”

 

“Mal, how did you even get your spell book back?” Dr. Winters demanded as he moved to grab it from the bed, Mal ducking her head as she mumbled something under her breath. “I told you that you would get it back when the time was right.”

 

“It’s really not her fault, Dr. Winters.” Evie sighed.

 

“All I know is that you need to get those burns looked at and I have important people waiting up front for me. Take care of Lady Evie.” The doctor ordered as he glanced towards the nurses before excusing himself, Mal’s book clutched in his hand.

 

Watching the man go, Mal turned her attention to Evie as she fidgeted nervously with the sleeves of the jacket that Evie had given her after her first visit, the same jacket she wore almost every day.

 

“Evie, I-I’m so sorry.” Mal whispered as she shyly ducked her head.

 

“It’s okay.” Evie assured her as she felt a hand settle on her back, leading her towards the door. “I’m just going to get my hands fixed up and then I’ll be back, okay? Don’t worry about this. It’s really nothing.”

 

Evie flashed Mal one last calming smile, the younger girl shying away from the door as she watched the nurses bustle off with Evie. The girl sighed as she was led to a separate room, the healers making quick work at her hands. Wincing, the girl watched as the soft washes of magic splashed gently over her hands as the burns reduced themselves, the skin healing itself until she was met with bubbling welts she figured would eventually fade. Magic wasn’t something that was usually used in Auradon, but Evie figured they were hoping that fast healing her wounds would keep the wrath of the queen and king from coming down on the small clinic.

 

“Would you like us to wrap them?” The nurse asked.

 

“No.” Evie sighed. “I’ll be fine.”

 

“The welts should go down after a few days, Lady Evie. A week at most.” The other nurse offered as she observed their handy work. “I’m sorry we can’t do more for you, it seems the magics are counteracting each other.”

 

“I’ll be fine.” Evie repeated with a small nod.

 

“Just keep them clean and avoid magic, alright?” The nurse ordered.

 

Evie gave a short nod as she slid off the cot they had set her up on, the girl staring down at her hands with a look of slight worry; it terrified her to see what Mal could do with such a simple spell from her that book. Swallowing hard, Evie curled her hands into fists and winced at the blisters stung under the pressure before she released her grasp and ducked out of the room, the fear still bubbling low in the pit of her stomach. Evie tried to calm her running thoughts as she walked down the hallway, her gaze locked on her hands as she observed the marks on her skin before glancing up and pausing as she caught sight of her brother.

 

“Ben?” Evie called.

 

The said boy glanced up with a smile that disappeared as he caught sight of her hands, his feet carrying him towards his sister as he paused before her and reached out to gently take her hands in his.

 

“What happened?” Ben gaped.

 

Evie rolled her eyes at her brother’s concern, “Mal managed to get a hold of her mother’s spell book and conjured up a fireball spell. It just didn’t work out like she thought it would. Ben, it was an accident. She didn’t mean to.”

 

“How can she not have meant to conjure up a fire spell? Look at your hands, Evie! How are we going to explain this to mom and dad?” Ben hissed as he inspected the burns. “Why do they look barely healed?”

 

“They could only do so much for me, I’m fine.” Evie assured him with a roll of her eyes as she pulled her hands from his grasp, the girl wincing as she tucked them to herself. “What are you even doing here?”

 

Ben froze slightly, “Mom and dad wanted to check on Mal and Carlos.”

 

“Are you insane?” Evie snapped, her eyes widening as she glanced over her shoulder. “Mal isn’t ready to see them, Ben. Not yet. She’s made too much progress and all she knows is that they’re the reason she grew up on that island.”

 

“Evie, I’m sorry. I tried to convince them to wait, but they’re eager to see the progress that they’ve made. They want to discuss moving them to school.” Ben explained. “I don’t know what to do to keep them away.”

 

“How long do I have before they show up?” Evie demanded.

 

“Minutes? They were discussing things with Dr. Winters, they should be right behind me. What are you going to do about your hands?” Ben questioned as he gaze slid down to the burns. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to hide them.”

 

“Hide what exactly?”

 

The familiar boom of her father’s voice caused Evie to tense as she peeked over her brother’s shoulder to see Adam moving towards them with Belle hanging off his arm, both of them looking at her with an expression of confusion.

 

“Dear, what are you doing here?” Belle asked they paused a few paces behind their children, the woman taking in their tense postures and traded glances. “Ben told us that he left you at the fabric store.”

 

Evie weighed the options of lying; on one hand, it would mean that her parents would figure out what she’s being doing with her spare time and she’d end up punished but on the other hand it would be amazing to stop having to lie. Drawing in a soft breath, Evie tucked her hands protectively to her sides as she attempted to shield her burns before stepping around her brother, her eyes rising to lock with the wondering gazes of her parents.

 

“I’ve been here. With Mal.” Evie whispered.

 

“Mal?” Adam repeated.

 

“Evie!” Belle gasped as she caught sight of her daughter’s bubbled skin, the woman rushing forward to scan it over. “What happened to your hands?”

 

“Mom, it’s nothing. The healers took care of it already, they said the blisters should fade within the next week or so.” Evie soothed as she attempted to draw her hands away from her mother’s, the woman tightening her grip. “Mom, please.”

 

“Evie.” Belle whispered, her tone turning stern. “What happened?”

 

“It was an accident…”

 

“You’re going to need to give us more than that, Evelyn.” Adam snapped, the use of her full name causing her to wince as she ducked her head. “You can start by explaining to us what you’re doing here.”

 

“I told you, I was here with Mal.” Evie mumbled as she finally managed to pull her hands away from her mother, the girl tugging on the end of her shirt. “I’ve been visiting her for the last month. Helping her.”

 

“Excuse me?” Adam scoffed. “You’ve been doing _what_?”

 

“Dad, it’s not her fault,” Ben cut in, his green eyes cutting towards his sister. “I-I asked her and Jay if they’d help me with Carlos and Mal. They’ve been helping get them used to society, teaching them about goodness.”

 

“How could you drag your sister into this?” Adam demanded as he narrowed his eyes at his son. “I told you that they were _your_ responsibility and instead you pulled Evie into this mess. And somehow she ended up hurt.”

 

“Dad…” Ben frowned.

 

“How did you get the burns on your hands, Evie?” Belle asked in a soft voice, but Evie could see the sternness that shone behind her gaze causing her to puff her cheeks out. “And don’t lie to us again, dear.”

 

“Mal and I were looking through her spell book and I uh I managed to convince her to try out one of her spells and it backfired. Literally.” Evie muttered as she shifted nervously, the lie slipping easily from her. “She didn’t mean to.”

 

“Maleficent’s child had a part in this?” Adam hissed.

 

“Dad, it’s not like that,” Evie sighed as she looked to him with a nervous expression. “It’s not like she meant to hurt me. She’s my friend. She’s a good person, and today was the first time she used her magic. It’ll get better.”

 

“ _Better_? No, she shouldn’t be practicing magic at all and you shouldn’t be seeing her.” Adam snapped as he shot his daughter a glare, the girl cowering subtly. “You’re not going to be doing this again, Evelyn. You will not see that girl again.”

 

“Dad!” Evie gasped.

 

Adam straightened himself as he scowled, “I will not allow you to be pulled back into whatever is going on with these kids, Evie. You’ve worked too hard to get back on the right track and I won’t allow any set backs.”

 

“She’s not going to set me back!” Evie protested, her heart pounding against her chest as a fear swept through her. “Dad, I promise you that she’s getting better. It’s not like she purposely did this, she would never purposely hurt me.”

 

Adam paused before shaking his head, “She is to be returned to the Isle.”

 

“No!” Evie exclaimed, her voice finally overpowering the strength of her father’s. “I will _not_ allow you to send her back, I refuse to let that happen. She belongs here, Dad. She just made a mistake. She’s learning.”

 

“Evie, look what happened to your hands.” Adam hissed as he pointed down to the burns. “I don’t even want to know what kind of damage she could do if she was given access to that book outside of this clinic.”

 

“It’s not like she’d use it, she was only looking for a spell so she wasn’t stuck in the dark all night.” Evie scowled. “Dad, she’s not some kind of monster. She’s a human being, a human being trying to adjust to this life.”

 

“Well, she needs to learn to control herself before she’s released to Auradon Prep.” Adam said, his tone softening only for a moment as he regarded his daughter. “I’ll let her stay her in Auradon as long as you agree to stop visiting her.”

 

“Dad…” Evie whispered.

 

“That’s the only option I have for you, Evelyn,” Adam declared as he folded his arms over his chest, his brown eyes cutting into his daughter’s soft glare. “Go collect your things and meet us at the limo.”

 

Evie swallowed hard before nodding, “Okay.”

 

Turning on her heel, Evie made the familiar walk down the hall towards Mal room, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Hovering her hand over the doorknob, Evie hesitated for only a beat before finally pushing into the room. Pausing in the doorway, her hand braced on the knob, Evie watched as Mal paced throughout the room with her thumb nail tucked into her mouth and a look of concern splashed clearly over her features.

 

“Hey.” Evie whispered.

 

“Evie!” Mal breathed out, the girl pausing in her pacing as she rushed to close the distance between them, her eyes dropping to Evie’s hands. “The burns…they’re better. But they’re not all the way gone.”

 

“Magic isn’t really practiced here, they’re not used to treating things with magic anymore. I’m lucky it healed this much.” Evie shrugged as she brushed past Mal, grabbing her burnt jacket as she slowly turned to face the younger girl. “Mal, there’s something I need to tell you…”

 

Mal tensed on instinct as she nodded, “You’re not coming back, are you?”

 

“It’s not because of your magic.” Evie assured her, green eyes jumping to stare at her. “My parents found out that I’ve been visiting you and they’re not happy about it. My dad says I have to stop seeing you.”

 

Silence fell between the pair and Evie clenched her jacket in her fist, the material lingering with the warmth of the fire that had been put out. Mal nibbled at her lower lip for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing as she considered her words for a beat.

 

“Is that what _you_ want?” Mal asked.

 

“Of course not.” Evie scoffed as she slowly closed the distance between them. “If I could see you every day then I would, you know that. I just…they threatened to send you back to the island if I came back.”

 

“Wow.” Mal snorted, her laughter coming out bitter. “They must really hate me.”

 

“They’re just being protective. Overly protective.” Evie sighed with an annoyed roll of her eyes, Mal scoffing at her words. “They’re probably going to call Jay’s parents too, we’re not going to be able to see you and Carlos till you start at school.”

 

“Well,” Mal began, her tone slightly strained as she cleared her throat and scanned her eyes over every inch of Evie’s face. “I guess that means I’ll have to try a little harder to get out of this hell hole.”

 

“I know that you’ll be able to do it.” Evie whispered. “I have faith in you.”

 

“Seems like you’re the only one, princess.”

 

“You’re going to get out of here soon and then you can prove to everyone that you’re one of the good guys. Just wait.” Evie grinned as she stepped forward, her lips setting against the shell of Mal’s ear. “I believe in you.”

 

Mal shivered at the soft breath, “You’re not making this easy, princess.”

 

“Sorry.” Evie giggled as she pulled away slightly before settling her lips against Mal’s burning cheek, the younger girl gasping softly. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Be good until then. For me.”

 

“For you.” Mal nodded.

 

Slowly pulling away, Evie rested her forehead against Mal’s for a long moment before drawing away and brushing from the room leaving a determined girl behind; a determined girl who knew she needed to get the hell out of the clinic and into Auradon Prep.


	3. If Only

“There’s no need to be nervous.”

 

Mal glanced away from the window as she looked across the limo seats to see Ben staring at her, his green orbs full of compassion and silent understanding. Rolling her eyes, Mal folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat. As much as she wanted to believe that she wasn’t nervous about this, Mal couldn’t deny that her gut was twisting as they neared Auradon Prep. Every second that passed, the circle of the quad grew closer. She was terrified, she was silently wishing to be back in the safety of the clinic.

 

After another week in the clinic, Dr. Winters had deemed her and Carlos healthy and safe enough to attend school. She had been picked up early that morning by a beaming Ben who opened his arms to present his limo, his words of greeting causing her to cringe. For the first time, Mal was able to see the difference in Carlos as she watched the boy scramble towards the limo with a slight excited expression before he dove to press himself into black leather, his hands reaching for the sweets presented to him. Mal had taken a different approach by stepping towards Ben and demanding to know why Evie wasn’t there with him, but she had been met with a soft smile and the boy explaining that he had wanted to surprise his sister; with a frown, Mal had climbed into the limo and scowled at the window.

 

“So,” Mal drawled. “How does this all work?”

 

“School?” Ben asked, his shoulders perking up as she finally spoke to him. “Well, you’ve been assigned to dorms. You’ve been both set up with good friends of mine and Evie’s, and they’ll take care of you.”

 

“I’m not rooming with Jay?” Carlos squeaked.

 

“Jay already has an assigned roommate this year.” Ben explained with an apologetic frown. “I promise you’ll be able to share with him next year, maybe even next semester. We’ll see if his roommate chooses to transfer.”

 

“This good friend of yours, for me.” Mal frowned. “Who is it?”

 

“For you, her name is Lonnie. She’s Mulan’s daughter and one of Evie’s best friends.” Ben replied as he looked at her with a charming grin, Mal giving a short nod. “Carlos, we put you with Doug. He’s a good guy.”

 

“Doug.” Mal repeated. “I know that name.”

 

“Evie has probably talked about him a few times, he’s her lab partner.” Ben shrugged, his eyes darting out the tinted windows to watch as they curled around the circle of the quad. “Are you guys ready for this?”

 

“Something tells me we don’t have much of a choice.” Mal grumbled as she sucked in a calming breath, her attention darting to Carlos to notice the way his happiness seemed to fade. “You okay?”

 

“I think so.” Carlos whispered.

 

“Just remember what we’ve been through, we can handle anything. This is nothing.” Mal murmured as she gave him a soft nudge, the corners of his lips perking into a barely there grin. “Come on, it’s only a matter of time before you see Jay.”

 

“I have missed him.” Carlos mused.

 

“Exactly. So, don’t worry so much. Everything is going to be fine.” Mal assured him as the limo finally came to a stop in front of the large school causing her to whistle slightly. “Whoa, didn’t expect _this_.”

 

“Welcome to Auradon Prep.” Ben beamed.

 

The prince didn’t waste any time as he opened the limo door and guided them out, Mal stumbling onto gravel and taking a moment to look around at her surroundings as Carlos pressed slightly into her side. Clenching her jaw, Mal tensed as the sounds and smells hit her all at once. The sound of a welcoming band caught her attention and she shot them a glance, the music fading off into an awkward clatter of trailing notes. The teens seemed to scatter, fright clear in their expressions as they collided with each other before darting away. Smirking to herself, Mal folded her arms over her chest as she noticed Ben approaching an older woman, a beautiful young girl eagerly reaching out to curl her hand around Ben’s arm as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and squeezed his bicep.

 

“Welcome to Auradon Prep!” The older woman chirped. “I’m Fairy Godmother.”

 

“ _The_ Fairy Godmother?” Mal gaped. “As in bibbity bobbty boo?”

 

“That’s right.” The woman nodded as she opened her arms to present the school to the two newcomers. “We welcome you with open arms, children. You’ll find that this school has everything you need.”

 

“You sure about that?” Mal snorted.

 

“Of course. Just remember your curfew and your manners and everything will be alright.” The Fairy Godmother beamed. “Ben has offered to give you a tour so enjoy that and I’ll see the two of you later so we can discuss your class schedules.”

 

“Well, she’s awful cheerful.” Mal grumbled as she watched the woman bustle off before her eyes darted around her, hesitant gazes sliding between her and Carlos. “Well, seems like we have quite the welcoming.”

 

“Everyone just wants you to feel as welcome as possible.” The girl on Ben’s arm said as she released the boy’s arm in favor of stepping in front of him slightly. “I’m Audrey. The daughter of Aurora.”

 

Mal tensed slightly, “Hi.”

 

Audrey smirked as she waved a hand, “Oh, no need to act like that. I think we can move on from the fact that your mother cursed my mother to sleep for a thousand years and stripped her of her childhood with her parents.”

 

“Something tells me you’re not quite over it.” Mal noted as she tilted her head, her green eyes sweeping over the slight sneer that graced Audrey’s face. “But you know, I guess we could just overlook the fact that your grandparents forgot to send my mother an invitation…”

 

“Ladies,” Ben jumped in. “We don’t have time for this right now.”

 

“Sorry, Benny Boo.” Audrey pouted.

 

“So, would you two like a tour of the campus or would you rather go settle in your dorms?” Ben asked as he offered his arm to his girlfriend, Audrey quickly accepting it. “Feel free to do whatever you please.”

 

“Exploring sounds nice.” Mal shrugged. “Plus, I’m on the look out for something.”

 

“Don’t you mean _someone_?” Ben teased.

 

“Something like that.” Mal mumbled under her breath as she glanced around the campus flooded with students. “So, where do we start?”

 

“Well, it’s almost ten so I think somebody might be getting out of Chemistry.” Ben offered, the boy chuckling as he noticed the way Mal’s eyes brightened at his words. “I could show you where some of your classes are.”

 

Mal nodded along to him as he began to lead them through the campus, Audrey shooting her glares every now and then. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Mal tried to ignore the fact that Audrey wasn’t the only one glaring at her. Honestly, she didn’t care. There was one person that mattered, and she was busy in Chemistry. But still, she could feel the sting of judging looks being cast her way and she knew Carlos was feeling the same as he nudged himself into her side slightly, the two walking shoulder to shoulder as they listened to Ben speak about the beautiful campus.

 

Finally, Mal paused in front of a hallway full of classrooms that seemed to leak students as the doors flew open and everyone spilled into the hallway. The girl clenched her jaw in annoyance as she heard squeaky giggles and chipper voices. As Mal felt her patience wearing thin, the air suddenly left her lungs as she caught sight of familiar blue waves bobbing in a sea of students, a bright smile lighting up a familiar face as she chatted eagerly with the people grouped around her; it didn’t surprise Mal that Evie was surrounded, the princess oozed an appealing personality that drew people in.

 

Glancing around, Mal casually leaned her shoulder against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest as she allowed her features to go slack. As Evie neared her, Mal cleared her throat and waited patiently for brown eyes to greet her. Mal chose to ignore the feeling of butterflies that swarmed in her stomach when Evie caught sight of her, the bright smile on her face only growing as she paused in her walk, a loud squeal leaving her mouth.

 

“ _What_?” Evie exclaimed, a laugh of shock pouring from her. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Well, Dr. Winters feels it’s time for Carlos and I to get accustomed to being out in the real world. He released us last night and Ben picked us up this morning.” Mal replied, her voice neutral and holding back its excitement.

 

“I can’t believe you’re finally here.” Evie breathed out as she stepped towards Mal.

 

The younger girl tensed as Evie jerked her away from the wall before pulling her into her arms, Mal feeling her body go rigid as she stayed limp in Evie’s embrace. After a moment though, Mal could feel a warmth spread through her as she finally returned the hug. Mal felt as if she was safe in Evie’s embrace, no longer did she feel the ache of sadness that always seemed to swim through her and she felt as if she was suddenly free of the stares she had been receiving since she had arrived.

 

“I’ve missed you so much.” Evie admitted as she pulled away from Mal, her gaze sweeping over the younger girl. “How have you been? Are you okay? Have you been eating, sleeping? Did you get your spellbook back?”

 

“Take a breath there, princess.” Mal laughed as she held a hand up. “I’m fine. Yes, I’m okay. Of course I’ve been eating, you’ve seen how I am with my food. Sleep is an ongoing struggle. And yes, I got my spellbook back.”

 

“You managed to catch all that?” Ben chuckled, the amazement clear on his face.

 

“I’ve learned to decipher your sister’s sentences. She talks really fast, and really loud.” Mal smirked, Evie playfully narrowing her eyes as she scrunched her nose. “Hey, don’t make faces at me.”

 

“Well, now that Evie is here,” Ben began. “Shall we continue the tour?”

 

“Can I take her to meet Lonnie? I have goodness class right now, but I think I can manage to miss one.” Evie offered as she shot her brother a pout, Ben chuckling as he nodded. “Yes! You’re the best. We’ll see you at lunch.”

 

“Have a good day, Mal.” Ben grinned.

 

“Uh, thanks. You too.” Mal nodded before she glanced to Carlos. “You gonna be okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Ben said he’d walk me over to the Tourney field, Jay is about to start practice and then he’s going to see if I can stay with him.” Carlos replied with a hint of a smile. “Meet up at lunch?”

 

Mal gave a short nod before she turned to meet Evie’s beam, the younger girl shaking her head with an amused laugh before following behind her friend; the pair were silent as they walked through the buzzing campus. Looking around, Mal couldn’t help but turn circles every now and then to take in the appearance of the of the place she was going to be attending school; she couldn’t deny that she was a little overwhelmed by everything.

 

“Are you happy?”

 

Evie’s raspy voice caught her attention and Mal quickly glanced away from the students mingling in the courtyard to where a pale face was bright with wonder, the anxiety showing through the barely concealed frown. The question was so loaded, and it took Mal a moment to grasp it. Was she happy? Could she be happy here? So, instead she decided to play dumb. She decided to let Evie believe whatever she wanted.

 

“Happy?” Mal repeated. “About what?”

 

“About being out.” Evie shrugged. “Being _here_.”

 

“I’m thrilled to be out.” Mal admitted as she walked alongside Evie, their shoulders brushing together. “Am I happy being here? I don’t know yet. It’s only been like twenty minutes, I have to see how many people hate me first.”

 

“They’re only trying to adjust to the newness. There’s rumors going around that you and Carlos aren’t the only ones who were pulled from the Isle and apparently it’s upsetting some of the people.“ Evie said with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t get why, but it is.”

 

“Well, all I know is that the people here have a thing for staring and I’m not sure I’m fond of it. They should keep their eyes in their head.” Mal hissed as she narrowed her eyes at a gossiping group of girls.

 

“You’re kind of the talk of the campus, everyone wants to know what you and Carlos are like. I’m sure you’ll be making friends in no time.” Evie soothed as she bumped her shoulder teasingly against Mal’s.

 

“Princess, I don’t think anyone really fancies the idea of being friends with me right now.” Mal snorted as she noticed a boy quickly edging away from her. “Something tells me that I’m going to be an outcast for a while.”

 

“You’re not going to be an outcast, you have me.” Evie reminded her.

 

Mal swallowed hard as she shot Evie a wounded expression, “It’s amazing that I even have you. After what happened.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Evie demanded.

 

“Your hands?” Mal muttered in a soft whisper. “How are they?”

 

“Oh. They’re fine, Mal. Just as perfect as they were before.” Evie assured her as she held them out, flipping them around to show the evidence of her smooth skin. “It took a couple of days, but the blisters went away.”

 

“Evie, I never really got to tell you how sorry I am for that.” Mal muttered as she rested a gentle hand on the girl’s forearm, the pair stopping their walk to the dorms. “I never meant to hurt you, I never should’ve tried that magic.”

 

“We’re both at fault, Mal. I encouraged you try something and I shouldn’t have done that.” Evie shrugged as she covered the hand on her forearm, grinning soothingly. “We shouldn’t hold onto this though. We should move past it.”

 

“I-I hurt you…”

 

“Mal,” Evie murmured, her brown eyes turning soft and unknowingly causing the other girl to melt under the look. “Please. For me? I don’t want to dwell on what happened, I’d rather just focus on your future here.”

 

Mal licked her lips before giving a small nod, “You’re right.”

 

“Of course I’m right. I’m always right.” Evie smirked as she flicked her hair over her shoulder before sliding her hand to rest in the crook of Mal’s elbow. “Now, come along. Lonnie is going to be leaving for class soon and I want you to meet her.”

 

“So, Lonnie? Is she cool with me?” Mal asked.

 

“She is. Ben had asked me who I thought was best for you and she was the first person that came to mind, she’s the most accepting. She was actually really excited when I told her.” Evie explained. “She’s a little much sometimes, but you’ll get used to it after a while.”

 

“We’ll see.”

 

“You will and then friends will come pouring in and you’ll be so overwhelmed that you won’t even have time for me anymore.” Evie grinned, her eyes hardening at the thought. “Just wait. You’re going to be popular.”

 

“Yeah, because I can see _that_ happening. Your friend Audrey isn’t too pleased that I’m here. I’m thinking she’s not a huge fan of me.” Mal mused as she traded an amused glance with Evie. “I have a feeling a lot of people aren’t a fan of me.”

 

Evie jerked them to a stop suddenly and Mal’s amused smile dimmed, “Hey, _I’m_ here, okay? I’ll watch out for you.”

 

“Something tells me that it’s gonna be _me_ looking out for _you_ , princess.” Mal chuckled as she watched a small blush form on Evie’s face. “Aw, don’t feel too bad. I happen to like the idea of being the knight assigned to your damsel.”

 

“Shut up. _I’m_ supposed to be the knight this time around.” Evie grumbled as she pulled her hands away from Mal’s shoulders before offering her arm back to her. “I’m serious though, just tell me if anyone is giving you a hard time and I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Ooh, so scary.”

 

“I’ll have you know that I can be pretty scary when I have to be. I think you sometimes forget my bloodline.” Evie pointed out, her jaw tightening slightly as they neared the dorms. “I can be just as evil as you seem to think you are.”

 

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Mal whispered with a shake of her head. “I may not have known you as long as a lot of people here, but I don’t think you have an evil bone in your body. It’s not possible.”

 

“Oh, it’s very possible. When we were in grade one, they used to call me Evil Evie and run away from me on the playground. Jay and Ben were my only friends.” Evie admitted. “It wasn’t till we were starting middle school that the teasing stopped.”

 

“Well, coming from an _actual_ evil person, I don’t think there’s a possibility for you to be evil. You’re too good.” Mal shrugged. “So, how about you leave the scary stuff to me and stick to being my personal tour guide?”

 

“Sounds like a plan.” Evie giggled. “Ready to meet your roommate?”

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Mal sighed.

 

-

 

Students scattered from the table that Mal approached causing her to smirk in amusement. With a sigh of happiness she slid onto the newly vacated bench, her green eyes glowing as she took in the sight of the students staring at her. Shaking her head, Mal pressed her teeth into the apple in her hand and held it in her mouth as she pulled her satchel open before digging inside for her beloved spell book, the leather slapping against the table as she dropped it with a smile.

 

Taking a large bite of her apple, Mal flicked the book open and scanned over the spells on the page; she and Fairy Godmother had been working on her controlling her magic and so far everything had been going well, so well that she had been given her spellbook back. It had only been five days since she had been freed from the clinic and life in Auradon Prep was everything she had expected it to be; hard, nerve wracking, intimidating (much to her displeasure), and annoying. Everyone in the school was just so _good_.

 

They held doors open for her and a few had grown backbones and actually approached her to ask how she was liking the school. Everywhere she went kindness was poured on her, and she couldn’t seem to escape it; unlike Carlos, she wasn’t a fan of all the new found attention. Pouting to herself, Mal busied herself with scanning over the scribbled words written before her as she sighed and munched happily at her apple, the sound of mulling students fading to the background as she lost herself in the magic her mother had made.

 

“So?”

 

Mal glanced up from her book in time to catch sight of Evie skipping to a stop in front of her, “So?”

 

“So, how was your first week?” Evie demanded as she leaned eagerly against the wood of the table, her lips twisting into a beam. “You lasted a whole five days, Mal! Do you like it here? Did you find any electives you want to join?”

 

“I can’t believe we’ve actually been here for five days.” Mal sighed with a quick shake of her head, her brow furrowing. “It’s all kind of surreal, y’know? It feels like yesterday I was chained up at the clinic.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re not. You’re here.” Evie assured her as she slid onto the bench, her hand sliding across the table to rest over Mal’s. “You’re here and you’re doing such an amazing job, Mal.”

 

Mal gave a soft laugh, “Thanks, princess.”

 

“I’m serious. Don’t laugh.” Evie scolded as she gave Mal’s hand a small squeeze. “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been keeping an eye on you and you seem to be gelling really well with people. Well, everyone but Audrey.”

 

“I don’t get what your brother sees in her.” Mal snorted as she shook her head, the girl slowly pulling her hand from Evie’s grasp. “She’s kind of a bitch. I mean, I thought _I_ was a bitch but the girl has managed to outdo me.”

 

“She’s an acquired taste. She can be sweet when she wants to be.” Evie said, cringing at her words. “I promise you once you get to know her that you’ll see a completely different side of her, she’s really a great person.”

 

“Something tells me that there’s only one side of her that she wants me to see. So, I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for her to change.” Mal shrugged. “Anyway, you were asking about electives?”

 

Evie brightened at the subject change, but before she could get a word in a shadow loomed over the pair. Pausing, Evie turned her head and Mal could see the change in her posture as she regarded the boy standing before them with a smirk on his face.

 

“Chad.” Evie mumbled.

 

“Evie.” Chad greeted with a lopsided grin, his attention sliding to Mal. “Who do we have here?”

 

“This is Mal.” Evie replied with a nod towards the girl.

 

“Oh. Wait…the villain girl, right?” Chad scowled as he narrowed his eyes at the girl, Mal rolling her eyes before giving a nod. “I’ve heard about you. I heard you can do all kinds of wicked magic like your mom.”

 

“Not nearly as impressive as hers, I assure you.” Mal grumbled as she stared up at the boy, her annoyance growing as she caught sight of his dopey expression. “Is there something we could help you with?”

 

“Oh. Yeah. I didn’t come over here for you.” Chad assured her as he pulled his backpack further up his shoulder before pressing his hands against the blue table, his eyes darting to Evie. “Have you thought about what I said?”

 

Evie slowly tilted her head, “No?”

 

“I’ve been asking you out for the last week!” Chad reminded her.

 

Mal tensed at his words, her jaw unconsciously clenching as she zeroed her attention onto her book and tried to ignore the seed of jealousy that had been planted. Glaring down at the book, Mal tried to keep her focus on everything but the conversation. She felt the familiar tug of something in her gut, a something that only Evie managed to stir up in her. And for Evil's sake, she was starting to get annoyed by it.

 

“And for the last week I’ve been telling you the same thing, I’ve been telling you the same thing for the last _month_ ,” Evie snapped as she glared up at him. “The answer is no, Chad. I don’t want to get back together with you.”

 

“I don’t understand why you’re being so difficult about this.” Chad complained as he ducked his head for a beat. “We’re practically meant to be, Evie. You’re a princess, I’m a prince. We make sense. We’re good together.”

 

“Chad, the only thing you’re good with is your ego.” Evie smirked as she rested her elbows on the table before balancing her chin in her hand. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is no and it will always be no.”

 

“Don’t you remember how happy we were?”

 

“Happy? No. You ignored me for half of our relationship and only paid attention to me when you wanted to make out.” Evie scowled. “So, no. No, I do not remember any kind of happiness.”

 

Mal could feel the anger twining in her veins as she listened to Evie speak; she didn’t quite understand where this protectiveness was coming from, she couldn’t quite pinpoint when everything had changed for her. When had she gone from despising the princess sitting in front of her to wanting to slam her ex-boyfriend’s face into the table out of anger for the way he treated her? When had she gone from spitting curses at her to wanting to have every second of her attention? Licking her lips, Mal stared down at the same sentence she had been reading since Chad had arrived at the table. Dropping her head, Mal kept a close ear on the conversation taking place between Evie and Chad while pretending to read.

 

“I’ve apologized. I’ve sent you flowers. I’ve asked you out on dates. I’ve apologized to Ben and Audrey for what I did.” Chad listed off with a forced pout. “What more do you want me to do for you, babe? Just say it and I’ll do it. I promise.”

 

“You want to know what I _really_ want?” Evie asked, Chad staring at her with wide eyes as he nodded his head quickly. “I really want you to leave me alone and stop pestering me. I want you to stop asking me out, okay? Just leave me alone.”

 

“Evie, come on,” Chad begged. “Just one last chance.”

 

“I’m noticing a pattern here,” Mal chirped as she lifted her head as she finally flicked her book shut. “It seems that she tells you no and you still take it upon yourself to ask her the same question over and over.”

 

“Stay out of this. It’s none of your business.” Chad hissed with a glare.

 

Mal slowly arched an eyebrow, “She _is_ my business.”

 

“And why would a princess be any business of a villain’s unless you have a poisoned apple or a spinning wheel hidden somewhere?” Chad growled. “So, why don’t you do yourself a favor and leave us alone.”

 

“Why don’t you do your ego a favor and realize that she’s not interested in getting back together with you? In fact, I’m confused as to why she was with you in the first place.” Mal snorted, the boredom clear in her tone.

 

“I’ll have you know that I’m a…”

 

“Prince?” Mal guessed. “Yeah, I figured.”

 

“And what is _that_ supposed to mean?” Chad snarled.

 

“You’re handsome. Charming.” Mal explained, Chad smirking at her words. “And then there’s the side of you that people rarely see. You know, the egotistical, vain, and vapid jerk that you try hide behind your good looks.”

 

Chad furrowed his brow, “You don’t know me.”

 

“You’re right, I don’t. But what I _do_ know is that Evie has turned you down multiple times yet you’re still trying.” Mal hissed, her eyes narrowing at him.“I suggest you stop. Or I’ll put a stop to it myself.”

 

“And what are you gonna do? Spell me?” Chad sneered, the fear shining through his gaze as he hid it behind a forced laugh. “One mistake from you and the king will have you shipped off back to the island where you belong.”

 

“You don’t want to test me. I may have to go back to the Isle, but it’d be worth it if it meant you’d be leaving Evie the hell alone.” Mal purred. “So, what’s your pick? Walk away or have me turn you into the very thing you are? Which is a pig.”

 

Chad’s cheeks flamed with anger as he sputtered for a moment before finally turning on his heel and storming away, Mal watching him go with a look of amusement before she turned to see Evie staring at her.

 

“You okay?” Mal asked.

 

“Am I _okay_? Mal, that was…amazing.” Evie whispered, the awe clear in her voice. “Nobody has ever stood up for me like that, not even Ben or Jay. I-I don’t even know what to say. Thank you. Just…thank you.”

 

“You’re a princess, and you should be treated as such.” Mal shrugged, the girl pulling her lower lip into her mouth for a beat. “If he messes with you again, let me know. I promise I really will turn him into a pig.”

 

Evie giggled as she tilted her head and stared at her friend, “I know you will, but I’d much rather you stay here instead of being shipped off back to the island. No more threats of spells. I need you here, okay?”

 

Mal felt her heart stutter a beat at Evie’s words, the princess seemingly unaware of their impact. Giving a hard swallow, Mal turned her attention to her satchel and haphazardly flipped it open before shoving her book instead with shaking hands. She needed to escape, she needed to get away from the girl who had been confusing her for the last month and a half; fumbling over her footing, Mal stepped over the bench as she flashed Evie a small glance.

 

“I uh I’ve gotta go.” Mal mumbled.

 

Evie watched the girl retreat with a look of puzzlement and worry as she watched purple locks bounce as Mal powered away, the older girl dropping her eyes to watch the gentle sway of Mal’s hips as she stormed off. Blushing, Evie quickly turned her attention away before catching sight of a familiar dark blue jacket. Reaching across the table, Evie called out to Mal and watched as the girl shot a small smile over her shoulder while continuing to walk away.

 

“Mal!” Evie exclaimed, the girl’s figure vanishing quickly. “You forgot your jacket…”

 

Glancing down at the worn jacket, Evie smiled softly at the familiar soft material. She remembered giving this to Mal the first day she met her, clutching it to her chest Evie beamed and reminded herself to bring it to Mal later that night.

 

-

 

Mal couldn’t deny that she spent the rest of her day avoiding Evie; she had caught sight of blue locks after her goodness class and all but dove into a bush to avoid having to force a smile on her face when she saw Evie. It wasn’t that she didn’t _want_ to see her, it was that she couldn’t. Mal wasn’t sure she would be able to face Evie and not melt under her warm eyes or say something stupid that she knew she’d end up regretting.

 

It felt like everything was happening to fast, she felt like she was slowly spiraling out of control with her own emotions and it bothered her. She had always been so careful to maintain a certain persona, but with Evie it just melted away. She just couldn’t help it, ever since the hospital everything for her had changed; she had found herself wanting Evie’s attention and wanting to spend time with her, she had found herself feeling something that terrified her, something she had been taught to avoid. Just the thought of the girl made Mal’s stomach twist in an unfamiliar way, her mouth dropping into a frown as she weighed her banana in her hand while staring at the students milling around with their trays full of dinner.

 

“I heard you threatened Chad.”

 

Tightening her jaw, Mal threw a look over her shoulder and caught sight of Ben wondering towards her “I’m surprised _you_ haven’t done something about it. He’s your friend. He was harassing your sister about getting back with him.”

 

Ben clenched his jaw, “I’ll speak with him.”

 

“I think you’re a little late on that idea, Benny Boo,” Mal smirked as she folded her arms on the table, staring up at him. “Like you said, I threatened him. I told him I’d turn him into a pig if he came near Evie again.”

 

“Well,” Ben chuckled as he lowered himself onto the bench across from Mal, dropping his backpack beside him as he smiled. “I guess that’s a lot worse than I could ever do. I think you win this one.”

 

“I’m serious, I will curse him if he doesn’t leave her alone.” Mal warned, the humor in her tone leaving as she stared at the boy. “The last thing Evie needs is some creep hanging around her, you need to keep an eye on that.”

 

“Evie is very independent, Mal. She won’t like me meddling in her business.” Ben frowned, his gaze tracking the way Mal bit angrily at the half peeled banana in her hand. “You don’t know Evie the way I do, she won’t like me defending her unless it’s necessary.”

 

“It _is_ necessary. He’s harassing her.” Mal sneered as she glared at him. “How serious does it need to be before you step in? Are you going to wait for him to do something stupid like corner her somewhere?”

 

“Chad would never…”

 

Mal rolled his eyes as she shoved her books into her satchel, “Chad is a pompous jerk who can’t seem to swallow down the idea that Evie wants nothing to do with him. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

 

“She was so happy when they started dating. She had harbored this crush on him since we were kids.” Ben sighed, his gaze turning wistful. “We grew up together. Her, Chad, Jay, Audrey, and I. We were inseparable.”

 

“So, you thought that you’d keep that little pow wow alive and date each other?” Mal chuckled with an amused lift of her eyebrow. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that didn’t work out. Prince Charming isn’t so charming after all.”

 

“He’s a good guy.” Ben assured her. “He’s just…full of himself. Always has been. I mean, what do you expect? He’s always been catered to and everyone has always based everything about him on his looks.”

 

“I’m not a fan of excuses, Ben. Never have been.” Mal purred as she set her banana aside, the girl leaning forward on the table. “And right now, that’s all you’re giving me. He’s a jerk and no excuse can change that.”

 

“I know. I just…”

 

“You’re trying to see the good in him. Like you do with everything.” Mal nodded. “I get it. Your sister is the same way. I mean, look at the good that she’s apparently found in me. You’re kind people. It’s all you know.”

 

“Our parents have raised us to give second chances, to see the good in people that others refuse to acknowledge.” Ben whispered with a small  nod. “He’s one of my best friends, I didn’t think he’d ever treat Evie like that.”

 

“Well, I’m sure under all those pounds of gel he uses and inside that empty head of his is a good guy.” Mal smirked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “All I know is that he needs to leave Evie alone and _I’ll_ leave _him_ alone.”

 

“I’ll be sure and pass the message along.” Ben laughed before he glanced around, students chattering loudly as they ate while the evening began to set on campus. “Would you like for me to walk you back to your dorm?”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah,” Ben nodded. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes at his words before standing from the bench, the girl shouldering her bag as Ben moved to walk alongside her. The two were quiet as they moved through the crowded outside cafeteria, eyes following them through the quad. It was unnerving. She knew they were gossiping behind their hands, talking about why the prince was walking the newest mess to her dorm. She could only imagine what kind of ideas they were coming up with, she assumed they were convinced she had spelled him.

 

“Well, this is sure to get back to a certain someone.” Mal snickered as she shot a narrowed eyed glare to a girl. “What is your girlfriend going to say when she hears that you were out walking around with her sworn enemy?”

 

“Audrey doesn’t hate you, you know?” Ben frowned as he led her along the path of the quad. “It’s another case of her acting the way she was taught. She’s always had a hard time accepting what happened to her mother, it’s a lot to take in.”

 

“It seems like the entirety of Auradon has a hard time dealing with the things that my mother has done. Which is apparently a lot.” Mal snorted. “Half of the things, I didn’t even know she did. She’s a lot more evil then I had assumed.”

 

“Your mother was…not nice.” Ben offered, his smile turning lopsided at Mal’s laugh. “I’ve heard stories, as has Evie, but Evie has always felt that she doesn’t have a right to judge so I’ve learned to look at it the way she does.”

 

“You two are too good for your own good, you know that?” Mal sighed as she slowly shook her head. “I don’t think you know how weird it is seeing the Evil Queen’s daughter being so _good_. Being so kind. So happy.”

 

“Evie has fought her battles with her bloodline and she’s moved past it, she’s come to accept that she shouldn’t let that part of her life dictate the rest of it.” Ben replied as he folded his hands behind his back.

 

“Her mom talked about her a lot,” Mal admitted as she spared the prince a glance. “She talked about how one day she’d find Evie and bring her home, how she belonged on the Isle. She has always vowed revenge. Mind you, she was usually drunk when she did it.”

 

“There’s no way my parents would ever let that happen.” Ben assured her, the boy smiling softly as he caught sight the flash of relief that appeared on Mal’s face. “She’s protected, Mal. My parents will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

 

“I know. I’m glad she has them.” Mal whispered. “So, why her? Why Evie?”

 

“What do you mean?” Ben frowned.

 

“I mean, your father must have taken a dozen or so kids from that Isle thirteen years ago,” Mal said as she glanced up at him. “Your parents could’ve picked any of them to adopt, but they chose the Evil Queen’s child. Why?”

 

“Well, after my father made the ruling, he and my mother thought it would be a good idea to adopt one of the children.” Ben explained with a grin. “And along came Evie. My mom felt a connection with her.”

 

“And it doesn’t bother them that she’s the daughter of the Evil Queen?”

 

“They don’t see her as that, they see her as their own daughter.” Ben shrugged. “I mean, she’s been with us since she was three and she’s every bit of goodness that exists. In my opinion, they couldn’t have picked anyone better.”

 

Mal grinned softly, “You really love her, don’t you?”

 

“She’s my sister. I’d do anything she asked of me.” Ben replied as he scratched at the back of his head. “I know there are times when we don’t see eye to eye, but she’s my best friend. So yeah, I love her a lot.”

 

“That’s…nice.” Mal offered.

 

“Too many emotions for you?” Ben teased as they neared the girls dorms, the boy slowing his walk as he traded a glance with the girl. “Since I answered your questions, would you consider answering just one of mine?”

 

“Depends on what you’re asking.” Mal scowled.

 

“It’s about Evie.” Ben began, Mal hesitating for a beat before finally giving a nod. “I noticed that the two of you are close, you make her happy. So, is there something there? Are the two of you…together?”

 

“No.” Mal answered with a quick shake of her head. “We’re just friends.”

 

“Are you sure? Because if there is something, you can tell me. I promise I won’t say a word to our parents or to anyone.” Ben assured her with a bright grin. “I just want to know if you’re the reason why my sister smiles so much.”

 

“Something tells me a _feather_ could make your sister smile.” Mal scoffed with an amused roll of her eyes, the fondness clear in her tone. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not the person putting a smile on her face.”

 

“I doubt that. I highly doubt that.” Ben smiled as he shared a glance with the girl. “Evie hasn’t really been in any relationships outside of Chad. She’s always just had guys who follow her around and fawn all over her.”

 

“So, basically she just attracts guys who drool over her like dogs?” Mal snorted with an annoyed roll of her eyes. “Surprise, surprise. Your sister is kind of beautiful, I don’t fault those guys for trailing her around.”

 

“Kind of beautiful?” Ben repeated with a perk of his eyebrow.

 

“Okay, she’s _really_ beautiful,” Mal sighed with a slight blush. “Look, I don’t wanna talk about this anymore with you. No offense. If you think there’s something going on with your sister and I then you should talk to her.”

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Ben frowned as he they walked into the building, the boy trailing Mal towards her dorm room. “Sometimes I think I ask too many questions, my parents say it’s not very becoming of a king.”

 

“Your parents are right.” Mal mumbled.

 

“You’re such a delight to talk to, Mal.” Ben teased as they came to a stop at Mal’s door, green eyes turning to narrow at him. “Hey, I’m just trying to be nice. We should do this again sometime. You’re not as bad as Audrey makes you out to be.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Your girlfriend would tell a brick wall how bad of a person I am if she knew it would listen to her.” Mal scoffed as she shook her head. “Thanks for walking me back to my dorm, Benny Boo.”

 

“Please don’t call me that…” Ben pleaded.

 

“ _What_? But your girlfriend calls you that. Are you saying you don’t like it?” Mal gasped as she pressed a hand to her chest with a mock shocked expression. “Why not? It’s so…cute. You’re her little Benny Boo.”

 

“You’re not very nice.” Ben huffed.

 

Mal couldn’t help but laugh at the boy’s expression as she shook her head and stared at him for a long moment; she could definitely see the similarities between him and his sister, they were both too kind and wore their hearts on their sleeves. She could see that they had both been raised inside of a bubble though; they were too trusting, too innocent. In some ways, it was kind of cute. But mostly it was annoying.

 

“So, maybe do this again tomorrow?” Ben offered with a charming grin.

 

“We’ll see.” Mal smirked.

 

Lingering at the end of the hallway, Evie took in the sight of her brother smiling at Mal who seemed to return the expression. Sucking in a breath, Evie glanced down at the jacket in her hands before turning and walking away.


	4. Don't Know What I'm Feelin'

Mal slammed her locker shut and shouldered her bag before smiling as she noticed Evie walking towards her, she hated that Evie could always draw this reaction from her. But how could she not? Even now, when the girl’s attention was focused on the book in her hand as she flicked easily through the pages; Mal couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the concentration playing across her features. Pushing off the metal, Mal moved towards her friend and easily plucked the book from her hand. Pausing, Mal waited for Evie’s usual giggle but instead was met with a scowl as Evie quickly snatched the book from her hand and smoothed out a page.

 

“Don’t do that.” Evie snapped.

 

“Whoa, princess,” Mal chuckled. “You’ve never cared before.”

 

“I was in the middle of studying for a test today, and now I’ve lost my place.” Evie hissed as she thumbed through the pages with a frown on her face. “I don’t have time to mess around right now. I’m busy.”

 

“Okay.” Mal scoffed, drawing the word out slowly. “With what?”

 

Evie glanced up from the book with a look of slight annoyance and just a twinge of sadness as she shook her head, “Nothing that concerns you. I’ll see you later. Try not to steal anymore books today, alright?”

 

Mal reached out to grab a hold of Evie’s bicep, “Wait. What’s going on?”

 

“Nothing. I really need to study for this test before class starts.” Evie whispered as she pulled her arm from Mal’s grasp. “I’ll see you around. Have a good day.”

 

Mal watched Evie vanish into the crowd of students, her expression full of confusion. Tilting her head, Mal spun on her heel and noticed Ben standing a few feet away with a wounded expression on his face as he turned his lips into a slight pout. Narrowing her eyes, Mal moved towards him and noticed the look of unease on his face as he turned to his locker and opened the metal with a quick pull while he easily dug a few books free from under a waded jersey.

 

“Ben.” Mal greeted. “What’s wrong with your sister?”

 

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Ben mumbled as he peeked towards the girl with a pout. “I woke up this morning and met up with her and Audrey at their dorm and she barely said two words to me.”

 

“Did something happen? Does Chad have something to do with her silent treatment?” Mal demanded through clenched teeth, Ben’s eyes widening in shock as he stared at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“Your uh your eyes.” Ben pointed out as he gaped for a moment, a shaking finger going to point in the direction of her face. “Um, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them do that before. Evie has told me about it, but up close it’s…terrifying.”

 

“Well, scary eyes come with being part dragon.” Mal shrugged as she sucked in a breath, her hands slowly curling into fists. “Ben, I’m serious about Chad. Did he do something to Evie that could’ve upset her?”

 

“No, there’s no way. He’s too busy stringing Jane along.” Ben scoffed as he slammed his locker shut and leaned his shoulder against it. “Believe me, you put the fear of every God in Chad. He won’t go near Evie again.”

 

“So, she’s just ignoring us to ignore us?” Mal sneered.

 

“I don’t know. She’s usually really passive with stuff, she rarely gets upset about things.” Ben sighed with a small shrug. “I can normally read her like a book, but she’s so closed off. Whatever it is is really upsetting her.”

 

Mal shifted uncomfortably as she frowned, “Do you think it has to do with me?”

 

“No. There’s no way. She would’ve told me.” Ben assured her with a quick shake of his head. “I don’t know, maybe she really is worried about this test coming up this period. I’ll see if I can get anything out of her at lunch.”

 

Mal simply hummed as she glanced down the hallway that Evie had disappeared down. Something felt off, and she hated how her stomach twisted with worry. She didn’t need to be worrying about Evie, that wasn’t her job. Ben flashed Mal one last smile before giving her shoulder a squeeze as he walked away from her; the girl watched him go with a scowl on her face as she leaned back against the locker with an annoyed sigh and her eyes still glowing green.

 

-

 

The quad was full of students by the time Ben managed to slip out of his class, his books tucked under his arm as he glanced around the crowded area and looked for a familiar sight of blue waves. Frowning, Ben paused at Evie’s usual table and noted her empty seat beside Lonnie. It took a few scans before he finally locked his attention on said girl who was sitting alone at a table under the tree, her cheek balanced against her hand as she nibbled at a small piece of pineapple. Maneuvering his way around his peers, Ben ducked underneath the branch of a large oak before coming to a stop in front of his sister who looked at him for a long moment before she huffed and looked away. Smiling, Ben tilted his head and observed her for a long moment.

 

“Eves.” Ben muttered. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Go away.” Evie ordered as she shoved the piece of pineapple in her mouth.

 

Ben squinted at his sister as she began to poke weakly at her fruit salad; flashing a half smile, Ben slid his legs underneath the table as he plopped down on the bench and smiled at his frowning sister. Evie spared him a glance before sparing her fork into a piece of watermelon and lifting it to her lips, her brown eyes narrowing as she chewed on the fruit before finally looking away from his comforting green eyes; clenching her jaw, Evie tried to remain strong as he tilted his head.

 

“Are you not speaking to me?” Ben asked in a soft whisper.

 

Evie paused as she tilted her head, “I’m mad at you.”

 

“Mad at me?” Ben repeated as he leaned forward before reaching out to cover his sister’s hand with his own. “Evie, what did I do? You’ve never been mad at me enough to ignore me.”

 

Evie hesitated as she glanced down at her brother’s hand covering her own; tugging her hand away from Ben’s, Evie tucked it into her lap as she nibbled at her bottom lip. She fell silent as she thought about it, and played around with the words in her head. All she wanted to do was blurt out demands as to why Ben was spending time with Mal, she just wanted him to leave her alone; Ben was perfect, and she knew she’d never stand a chance if he had feelings for Mal.

 

“Ben,” Evie whispered. “What’s going on with you and Mal?”

 

Ben slowly tilted his head as his brow folded, “I don’t know what you mean.”

 

“I saw you talking to her last night, outside her dorm.” Evie replied as she fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twirling it slowly. “You had that look on your face, the same look you had after your first kiss with Audrey.”

 

Ben straightened himself as he cleared his throat, “It’s not what you think, Evie. I ran into her after class and walked her to her dorm, and we talked. She’s a great girl. We talked about things and I feel as if we’ve formed a bond of sorts.”

 

“A _bond_?” Evie repeated, her brow furrowing as hurt colored her features. “You think that after one day together that you can just bond with her? It’s taken me _weeks_ , Ben. She’s not as simple as you seem to think she is.”

 

“She’s special, Evie.” Ben shrugged.

 

“She wasn’t special a month ago when you ripped her off the Isle.” Evie snapped as she glared at her brother. “Stay away from her, Ben. All my life, all I’ve wanted is to finally have my happy ending and I-I think I might have found it.”

 

“Evie, I’m not trying to…”

 

“Do you like her? I-I just see something in your eyes.” Evie whispered as she pressed her closed fists to the table. “And if you do, I get it. I do. But she’s…she isn’t ready for a relationship.”

 

“Evie,” Ben chuckled as a look of playful mirth shone through his emerald eyes. “I don’t like Mal in that way. I promise. We’re just friends. I wanted to get to know her, see how she was doing, and we just kind of clicked.”

 

“She looked really happy last night…”

 

“I don’t think that happiness had anything to do with _me_.” Ben assured her as he raised his hands in a show of innocence. “I know it may have seemed that way, but we were talking about something else.”

 

Evie furrowed her brow, “What were you talking about?”

 

“That’s not for me to tell you. Mal and I talked about things that we agreed would stay between us for now.” Ben shrugged, Evie flashing him her famous pout. “Don’t look at me like that. I can’t say.”

 

Evie huffed as she narrowed her eyes, “Do you promise that you don’t like her?”

 

“Evie,” Ben laughed as he rolled his eyes before offering his pinky to his sister, Evie keeping the glare on her face as she locked her finger around Ben’s. “I promise. I have a girlfriend that I very much care about.”

 

“Okay.” Evie nodded.

 

“But it seems like _you_ like her?” Ben asked with a lift of an eyebrow, Evie blushing as she gave his pinky a small squeeze. “Like you said, I don’t think she’s quite ready to be dating.”

 

“I know. That’s why I haven’t said anything. I don’t want her to confuse her feelings for me with some type of savior complex.” Evie mumbled. “I don’t want her to fall for me out of pity.”

 

“Hey, I don’t see that happening. Mal isn’t like that.” Ben assured her. “She may be really complicated, but I think she knows how to see situations for what they are. She’s a smart girl.”

 

Evie nodded as she swallowed hard, “Am I being stupid?”

 

“For having feelings?” Ben frowned, Evie pausing before she gave a brief nod and nibbled at her lower lip. “No. Of course not. You can’t help but want what the heart wants. You can’t deny yourself that.”

 

“Our parents would beg to differ.” Evie scoffed, Ben pinching his lips into a thin line as he squeezed Evie’s pinky softly. “They would go absolutely insane if they knew I had a crush on Maleficent’s daughter.”

 

“Sometimes I forget she’s related to her,” Ben admitted. “If mom and dad had a chance to get to know her, I know they’d change their opinion on her. She really is a lovely girl once you get past the sarcasm.”

 

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” Evie sighed.

 

“I’m gonna give you the same advice you gave me when I was planning to court Audrey,” Ben began, his green eyes boring into brown. “Give it time. Have patience. Wait it out. It’ll be worth it.”

 

“You’re right. I can do that.” Evie whispered, her smile turning lopsided as Ben gave her pinky a small squeeze. “I’m sorry for ignoring you, I should’ve just talked to you.”

 

“Yeah, you probably should have.” Ben nodded as he finally released his sister’s finger with a look of mirth shining in his green orbs. “But _I’m_ not the one you should be worrying about.”

 

“What?”

 

“Well,” Ben said in a sing song tone as he folded his arms on the picnic table and stared at his confused sister. “You gave someone the cold shoulder this morning and she’s not very happy about it.”

 

Evie paled as she ducked her head, “Oh jeez.”

 

-

 

The soft scratch of pencil filled the air of Mal and Lonnie’s silent dorm room, Mal laying on her stomach with her feet kicking in the air as she worked diligently on her sketch. She tried not to pout as she worked, but she couldn’t help. This sketch, this stupid sketch, had filled her mind only hours before and was now coming to live before her. Waves washed freely over sand while a figure walked along the fine grains, Mal smiling softly to herself as she reached for her blue colored pencil and began to shade the hair in with a practiced twist of her wrist.

 

After talking to Ben, Mal hadn’t felt up for attending any of her classes and instead had retreated to the comfort of her dorm room. This was her space, it belonged to her. And she was slowly growing more comfortable with it. So, she returned to it and quickly changed from her leather to familiar pajamas before lounging on her bed with her sketch book. Mal had tried to convince herself that her mood wasn’t based on the fact that her day wasn’t good unless Evie was around. She tried to convince herself that she was just in need of a day by herself, but her heart knew the truth and it was pattering with each realization. She had been so sure that her heart was coated with a thick layer of ice, but here she sat knowing that it was slowly being melted by a princess with a smile that seemed too big for a face and brown eyes that could warm the coldest of hearts.

 

Like hers.

 

Mal dropped her teeth to dig into the flesh of her lower lip as she tried to steer her thoughts away from Evie only for her detour to be interrupted by the flutter of knocks that bounced against her door. Releasing a sigh of irritation, Mal closed her sketchbook and set it aside before rolling off the bed and pattering towards the door. Glancing in the mirror, Mal made sure she looked somewhat presentable before reaching forward to wrench the door open. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she was met with a nervous crooked smile and Mal fought back the smile that threatened to spread across her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and allowed a glare to appear on her face.

 

“Oh. It’s _you_.” Mal mumbled with a roll of her eyes. “What do you want?”

 

“I haven’t gotten this cold of a greeting from you since the first week that I started visiting you at the clinic.” Evie noted as she pushed her way into the room, her gaze bouncing around the dorm. “Where’s Lonnie?”

 

“She agreed to show Carlos around a part of campus or something. I hope she enjoys being the third wheel to the Jay and Carlos will they or won’t they show.” Mal sighed as she slammed the dorm door shut. “So, did you need something?”

 

“Yes.” Evie nodded as she turned to look at Mal, her brown eyes widening as she forced a look of innocence onto her face. “I’m sorry about how I treated you this morning, I’ve been looking for you since lunch so I could apologize.”

 

“Mm, I ditched my classes. Wasn’t up for learning about the certain ways to be good.” Mal shrugged as she moved past Evie, throwing herself onto her bed as she arched an eyebrow. “So, wanna tell me why you were being such a bitch this morning?”

 

“Mal. Language.” Evie scolded with a slight glare.

 

“Fine, fine. Would you like to tell me why you were being such an  _ass_ this morning?” Mal offered, Evie nodding in acceptance to the correction as she bit her lower lip. “Seriously though, what did I do to piss you off?”

 

“It wasn’t _you_ technically _._ ” Evie whispered as she moved hesitantly towards Mal’s bed, lowering herself onto the edge of the mattress as she ducked her head shyly. “I went to return your jacket last night and I saw you with Ben.”

 

“And?” Mal drawled.

 

Evie blushed as she flexed her jaw, “I didn’t like it.”

 

Mal paused in shock as her eyebrows popped up, her green orbs taking in the way Evie tensed and shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Slowly, a smirk spread across the girl’s face as she tilted her head and observed her fidgeting friend. Sitting up on the bed, Mal made a move to scoot closer to Evie who sucked a breath in and avoided looking at her. Turning her head, she stared at the girl beside her and gave her shoulder a small nudge waiting for brown eyes to look to her.

 

“You were jealous?” Mal purred.

 

Evie scoffed as she jerked herself away from Mal and turned her body so she could face the younger girl; brown eyes narrowed as she watched the flicker of emotion flash across Mal’s face as she fought back a smile. She could sense that Mal was just reveling in this, and it made her want to laugh. Finally, after so much work, Evie had managed to get through to Mal and teach her that it was okay to show emotions.

 

“No. I don’t…I don’t get jealous.” Evie hissed as she fidgeted with the ruffles of her blue skirt, tugging at the soft material. “I-I was merely _surprised_ to see the two of you together, I hadn’t realized you were that…close.”

 

“Aw, princess,” Mal cooed as she reached out to swipe a strand of hair from Evie’s face, her fingertips brushing over baby soft skin. “He just offered to walk me back to my room and we got caught up talking about stuff.”

 

“What kind of stuff?” Evie demanded.

 

“Stuff that doesn’t concern you.” Mal whispered as she dropped her hand.

 

“What is it that’s so secretive? Ben wouldn’t tell me either.” Evie whined as she crossed her arms over her chest, her lower lip protruding in a show of annoyance. “What could the two of you possibly be talking about?”

 

“Something important.” Mal replied with a small bounce of her shoulders. “He was asking me about something about my personal life and I was hesitant to answer, but he was a prince about it and left me alone when he realized I was uncomfortable.”

 

“That sounds like my brother.” Evie nodded as she turned her head to look at Mal, her gaze sweeping freely over the younger girl’s face. “Mal, will you please just give me a hint about what it was?”

 

The soft curl of Evie’s raspy whisper caused a chill to roll down the length of Mal’s spine as she shivered, the girl fighting back the purr she longed to release as she turned to see Evie staring at her with a soft gaze. Damn she hated those brown eyes. Clenching her jaw, Mal felt the familiar prickles of annoyance when she realized that Evie was once again causing emotions in her that she could’ve sworn her mother’s men had beaten out of her long ago. An insult and harsh words rested on the tip of Mal’s tongue and she longed to open her mouth in order for them to pour out, but one look at Evie’s gentle features and she found herself swallowing hard to push the words down as her stomach twisted.

 

“It was about something that I’m not quite ready to talk about.” Mal replied through clenched teeth, her hands curling into fists that she rested on her thighs. “Now, can we please change the subject?”

 

Evie tilted her head, “To?”

 

“Hm, maybe you could start by telling me why it matters to you so much that your brother and I were hanging out last night. I thought you wanted me to make friends.” Mal said, her fingernails biting into the skin of her palms. “I think you were a little bit jealous, princess.”

 

“I already told you that I wasn’t jealous. I was simply curious. And a little hurt.” Evie explained in a low voice. “It was odd seeing you together, okay? And I’m not ashamed to admit that I wasn’t fond of it.”

 

“That’s called jealousy, princess.” Mal snorted, her green orbs running over Evie’s features as she watched them bleed with a blush. “You know, you’re kind of adorable.”

 

Mal regretted the sentence as soon as it had poured from her mouth, her teeth clinking together as she snapped her jaw shut; this was too familiar, too comfortable and Mal could feel the anxiety creeping through her as her chest tightened slightly. She wasn’t used to this type of thing; with Carlos, their friendship had been forged out of desire to stay alive and both had known that without the other they would either starve or bleed out from random wounds they had gained from their parents. But with Evie it was different. It was _safe_ , it was a happiness that she had only read about it story books that had been found in the garbage dealt to them by the lovely people living in the freedom of Auradon; it was a happiness she was terrified of.

 

“Mal?” Evie whispered. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” Mal nodded as she cleared her throat. “It’s late.”

 

“What? No it’s not. Curfew isn’t for another hour and a half.” Evie pointed out even as she stood from the bed, the wonder clear on her face. “I thought we could spend some time together, I missed you today.”

 

“Well, maybe next time don’t freeze me out over stupid stuff.” Mal grumbled, the girl cringing as she noticed the flash of hurt that took over Evie’s frowning face. “I’m sorry. That was a fucked…I mean, messed up thing to say.”

 

“It’s okay. I deserved it.” Evie nodded.

 

“No. You didn’t. I’m just being…me. Weird.” Mal murmured, her words jumbling together as she ruffled her purple locks before looking nervously at Evie. “Can we get breakfast tomorrow? Just you and me?”

 

Evie beamed as she nodded excitedly, “I’d love that.”

 

“Uh, cool. Good.”

 

Mal stood from the bed and Evie followed closely behind her, the older girl turning to stare at her friend curiously before reaching out to push a strand of purple behind Mal’s ear. The younger girl tracked Evie’s hand with wide eyes, her stomach turning with something she couldn’t identify.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Evie whispered. “Seven o’clock?”

 

“Um…yes. Uh sure.” Mal nodded.

 

Evie beamed and as she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Mal’s cheek, her lips drifted to the corner of Mal’s mouth instead. Soft lips settled for a long moment and Mal could feel her heart thundering in her chest as she clenched her jaw. Drawing away, Evie’s hand slipped away from Mal’s face as she drew her lower lip into her mouth before stepping back. Both girls stared at each other, their gazes heated as Mal tried to ignore the way fire leaked easily through he veins.

 

“I need to go.” Evie murmured with wide eyes.

 

Mal nodded as she watched Evie quickly dash from the room, her blue locks disappearing quickly. Falling back onto her bed, Mal could feel the familiar warmth washing over her before a confusion twisted in her gut, an unfamiliar flutter breezing through her heart.

 

“ _Fuck_.”

 

-

 

Jay rolled his eyes as his roommate grumbled to him before stomping towards the door, the boy wrenching it open with a glare as he shouldered past a surprised Evie. With a glare, Jay flipped the retreating figure off as Evie stumbled into the room with wide, concerned eyes. Chuckling at his best friend’s expression, Jay lazily tossed his Tourney jersey aside and noted the way Evie scanned his body over with an impressed arch of her eyebrow before he reached for another shirt.

 

“Somebody is trying to live up to his father.” Evie teased as she playfully wiggled her eyebrows. “Does your dad have you on that crazy work out plan you were telling me about?”

 

“Yeah. He noticed I was getting a little slow at the last Tourney game.” Jay shrugged as moved towards his drawer. “Ma thinks he’s crazy to be pushing me, but I kind of need it.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll loosen up when he sees you kick butt this Friday.” Evie assured him as she moved to gracefully drop onto Jay’s bed, folding a leg over the other. “So, what exactly did you do to piss Leroy off today?”

 

“I may have kindly asked him to remove the stick from his ass.” Jay shrugged as he yanked his shirt over his head. “He was being a jerk to Carlos this morning when he came by and I’m just sick of him being a dick.”

 

“His father is _Grumpy_ , Jay. What do you expect out of him?” Evie smirked as she leaned back on her elbows, her gaze running over her friend as she noted his outfit. “Where exactly are you heading off to in that outfit?”

 

“What do you mean?” Jay frowned.

 

“You look nice and you showered right after practice.” Evie noted as she scanned the boy over, the wonder clear on her face. “You only shower after practice if you’re going out or going to your parents for dinner. And you only shower then cause Megara would kill you if you didn’t.”

 

“Well, practice was rough today and I smelt worse then the inside of a gym sock.” Jay huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What exactly are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hanging out with Mal?”

 

Evie scoffed at his tone before shaking her head, “I _was_ hanging out with her, but then I realized that I haven’t seen my best friend in a few days and I realized that I missed him. Such a mistake on my part.”

 

Jay softened as he flashed a small smile, “Sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. Well, it’ll be fine once you tell me where you’re going.” Evie smiled, her brown eyes twinkling with silent questions as she watched Jay fidget nervously. “Wait…are you going on a _date_ tonight?”

 

“It’s not a date.” Jay grumbled as he straightened the vest her wore, his cheeks bleeding with a small blush. “Carlos and I are just going to go to dinner off campus.”

 

Evie allowed her smile to fall away slowly as she stared at the boy, “You managed to convince Fairy Godmother to let you take Carlos off campus? Are you sure he’s ready for that? He just got adjusted to school…”

 

Jay rolled his eyes at Evie’s protective tone, the girl had been like this with Carlos since the day he stepped foot on campus. While she was closer to Mal, Evie couldn’t deny that she had a soft spot for Carlos; she couldn’t resist, he was just too sweet. The boy was innocent and kind, something she hadn’t expected from him; they got along better than Jay and Mal liked to admit or acknowledge and both knew that if they couldn’t find them then they were usually with each other gossiping and giggling about something. Carlos loved to talk fashion with Evie and Evie loved to learn more about computers from Carlos, they were the perfect pair. With a small huff, Jay reached towards the desk to grab his wallet and slid it into his back pocket as he glanced to Evie.

 

“He’ll be fine, Eves,” Jay assured her with a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s gotta get used to the world somehow and this will be good for him. We’re not going anywhere too far into town, just that one joint you and I used to go to.”

 

“Oh, that place is amazing. You should get him a milkshake, I bet he’s never had one of those before.” Evie hummed, her gaze turning dreamy for a moment. “Just treat him with respect, okay? Don’t do anything stupid.”

 

“Hey, shouldn’t you be giving _him_ the speech about _me_? I’m your best friend!” Jay reminded her with a wounded expression, Evie chuckling as she reached for his pillow before tossing it to the boy.

 

“Shut up.” Evie giggled.

 

Jay tossed the pillow back to the girl before licking his lips, “It’s not a date, by the way.”

 

“But you’d like for it to be?” Evie questioned as she arched an eyebrow, the girl easily returning the pillow to its rightful spot. “I mean, I’ve seen the way you look at him. You haven’t liked anybody since…”

 

“We don’t talk about that.” Jay cut in, his cheeks heating up as he awkwardly shifted before stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It’s just…it’s not a date. I don’t think he’s quite ready for that.”

 

“Have you two spoken about it?”

 

“Once or twice. I mean, we both kinda know there’s something there. _Everyone_ knows there something’s there.” Jay muttered as he stared down at his feet, his confidence seemingly dwindling. “We’re just kind of taking it slow right now. Getting a feel of it.”

 

Evie perked up with sparkling orbs, “Have you two kissed?”

 

“Dude, I’m not answering that…”

 

“That’s a yes!” Evie squealed as she sat up on the bed and eagerly clapped her hands together, the happiness clear on her face. “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you! Was it okay? Did he freak out? Did _you_ freak out?”

 

“He actually _did_ freak out.” Jay admitted as he reached up to twist his hair into a bun. “I-I don’t know everything that happened to him on the Isle, but I know it wasn’t good.”

 

Evie nodded slowly, “I get that impression from Mal. She’s so closed off about talking about it, but she’ll slip and mention things here and there. Sometimes I have to refrain from bursting into tears.”

 

“Carlos asked me about _that_ day.” Jay muttered. “He asked me what I could remember and all I told him was that it was a big blur. One second I was with Jafar playing with a few pots and the next I was in a fairy’s arms.”

 

“I remember…I remember voices and I remember the closet door opening. But that’s all. I mean, I was only three so remembering is kind of hard.” Evie whispered. “I do remember meeting my parents though.”

 

“Mine too.” Jay smiled, his brown eyes brightening.

 

Evie was silent as her brow furrowed, “I just can’t believe that they missed out on this feeling. This happiness. It pains me to know that they could’ve grown up with us, they could’ve been safe.”

 

“They’re safe now.” Jay assured her with a soft expression before he glanced down to his watch. “I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve gotta grab Carlos from his dorm. My parents sent a limo for us.”

 

“Oh, so you can cart around your most precious cargo?” Evie teased as she playfully puckered her lips at her best friend. “Are you two gonna make out in the back seat?”

 

“Evie.” Jay whined, his eyes squeezing shut. “Stop.”

 

“Oh come on, you teased me forever when I told you about my first kiss with Doug.” Evie pouted, her nose crinkling at the memory. “I think I’ve earned the right to tease.”

 

“No, not with this one. He’s different. I actually really like him.” Jay sighed as he slowly opened his eyes, his brow crinkling. “I don’t want to freak out and bail on this one. So, teasing really isn’t a good thing right now.”

 

“Okay.” Evie nodded. “Whatever you want.”

 

Jay smiled softly, “And how about you? Anything with Mal happen yet?”

 

“I wish you guys would stop trying to push me onto her, she’s not ready for anything.” Evie huffed as she rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to rush into this. I don’t think Mal could handle it.”

 

“Okay, you two have more sexual tension than anyone I have ever seen. I actually think it’s a little unhealthy.” Jay chuckled as he folded his arms over his chest. “So, if I’m doing something about my feelings, you should do something about yours.”

 

“I just told you, she’s not ready.” Evie whispered as she fiddled with her grandmother’s silver ring that rested on her finger, her gaze taking in the small diamonds. “And I don’t want to just _assume_ she has feelings for me.”

 

“Dude, she has feelings for you.” Jay snorted. “Why don’t you do what normal people do and ask her on a date? Hell, it doesn’t even have to be a date. Just take her out. Make it kind of romantic and see if there’s really something between you guys.”

 

Evie smirked slightly, “Is that how you lured Carlos in?”

 

“I didn’t _lure_ him in. He came willingly.” Jay assured her as he dropped his arms before crossing the room to throw himself on Evie, the girl giving a loud squeal. “Take her on a date, Evie! Wine and dine her!”

 

“Get off me!” Evie ordered, her voice muffled by Jay’s chest.

 

“I’ll get off you if you agree to stop running away from your feelings.” Jay replied, Evie mumbling a few curse words into his shirt causing him to sigh as he dropped his weight to rest fully on her. “All you have to do is agree.”

 

“Jay, I am a princess, I can have you arrested.” Evie warned as she shoved her hands between their bodies, pushing against his toned abdomen. “I’m serious, get off me or I swear I’ll have you locked in the darkest of dungeons.”

 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Jay smirked. “You love me too much.”

 

“Oh my Gods! Fine! I won’t run from my feelings anymore, okay?” Evie snapped, Jay snickering as he rolled off his friend before standing with a smug grin. “But I’m not taking her anywhere anytime soon, I’m not going to just force her to date me.”

 

“Something tells me there wouldn’t be any forcing.” Jay smiled before he leaned over to press a quick kiss to her forehead, pointing a stern finger at her as he backed away. “Get your girl, Evie. It’ll be worth it in the end.”

 

Jay didn’t bother to wait for her reply as he spun on his heel and hurried to vanish out the door leaving his best friend to stare after him before she collapsed back on the bed with a loud, dramatic groan.

 

-

 

“E, I’m so tired. You’ve been dragging me around campus all day.” Mal whined as she allowed Evie to guide them into the hallways of the boys dorm. “It’s Saturday, we’re supposed to be doing something fun. Why do you have to drop this off _now_?”

 

“Mal, Jay needs this jacket. After that we can head back to our dorms.” Evie assured her with a look of amusement. “I don’t know why you’re complaining, you’re the one who volunteered to help me take the clothes I’ve fixed back to people.”

 

Mal pouted because Evie was right, she had eagerly offered herself up when Evie had mentioned that there were outfits and dresses that people around campus had asked her to sew. She had been irritated at first with Evie having to leave, but when she mentioned they were waiting for her to deliver them; she had jumped at the chance to be around the princess.

 

“Well, it’s not my fault that I wanted to spend longer than five seconds with you.” Mal mumbled as she trailed behind the girl. “Between Tourney games and studying, I’ve barely seen you this week.”

 

“I know. I’m sorry.” Evie frowned as she paused before shooting Mal a small pout. “You know that I would’ve rather spent time with you and everybody else, but my grades have kinda been dropping and I…”

 

“Because of me?” Mal asked.

 

Evie furrowed her brow, “Because of you what?”

 

“Have your grades been dropping because of me?” Mal demanded.

 

“What? No. Of course not.” Evie scoffed as she shook her head and turned to continue their walk to Jay’s dorm. “I’ve just had a lot going on so I’ve been distracted, they haven’t gone down that much. Just enough for my parents to mention it.”

 

“E, you’ve been glued to my hip since I got here,” Mal reminded her as she curled a hand around Evie’s arm. “Maybe you should spend some more time studying rather than babysitting me all the time.”

 

“I’m not _babysitting_ , I love spending time with you.” Evie shrugged as she slowed her walk, her face glowing with a building blush. “I’d much rather spend an afternoon with you then buried in some history book.”

 

“Yeah, but you love school and you love getting A’s.” Mal pointed out as she nudged her shoulder against Evie’s. “From now, anytime I know you have a test, I’m going to avoid you so I can insure that you’re studying.”

 

“Listen to you.” Evie giggled as she glanced towards Mal. “It’s amazing that the girl who spent her first week here trying to convince me to blow up the Chemistry lab is now telling me I should be focusing more on my studies.”

 

Mal scrunched her nose, “Yuck. You’re right. What’s happening to me?”

 

“It’s all the good you’re surrounded by.” Evie grinned as she paused at Jay’s door, her hand resting on the doorknob. “Might wanna keep that expression on, who knows what we’ll be walking into…”

 

Mal tensed up at the humor behind Evie’s words as she curled her nose in disgust; it was true, Jay and Carlos had been more affectionate then ever and Mal knew that they were probably going to be interrupting something between the budding couple. As much as the two caused her stomach to turn, she couldn’t deny that they were sweet together. Mal had even made it her mission to keep Evie from bothering them, forcing the girl to keep her questions to herself rather than blurting them out to the pair. Sucking in a breath, Evie spilled into the room and stopped short at the sight of Jay sitting on the floor with Carlos a few inches away. The freckled boy was beaming as he eagerly scratched at the belly of a dog who lay on his back with his tongue hanging out.

 

“Carlos,” Mal gaped. “A _dog_?”

 

“Yeah.” Carlos nodded.

 

Evie furrowed her brow, “What’s wrong with a dog?”

 

“He’s terrified of them. Like, completely _petrified_. Cruella used to tell him that dogs were vicious and would attack at any given moment.” Mal explained, Carlos flinching at the memory.

 

“This one is cool though.” Jay assured her. “He’s chill.”

 

“Ben found him.” Carlos chirped as he looked up at his friend, his brown eyes twinkling. “I was absolutely terrified at first, but he’s not too bad. Mom was wrong, dogs aren’t vicious. They’re kinda cool.”

 

“How in the world did you find a dog on campus?” Evie demanded.

 

“He was running around in the forest,” Jay sighed as he flashed a look of amusement towards the girls. “Carlos saw him and ran away and the dog started chasing him, chased him right up a tree.”

 

Evie giggled in amusement, “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine. Dude is so cool. Ben said that I can keep him in my dorm room as long as Doug is okay with it and he’s going to talk to Fairy Godmother about getting some stuff for him.” Carlos hummed.

 

“You look so happy.” Evie noted, her gaze shifting to where Mal watched Carlos with a fondness in her orbs. “I’m glad that you have Dude. He’s very cute. I might steal him from you.” 

 

“So,” Jay mumbled, clearing his throat slightly. “What’s up?”

 

“Oh! I finished your jacket, took a little longer than I would have liked but it’s back to the way it was when you first bought it.” Evie chirped as she excitedly skipped over to hand the blue jacket to her friend.

 

“You are literally a live saver, Eves. My parents would’ve flipped if they found out I had ruined another jacket.” Jay sighed as he eagerly took the material from the girl. “Dude, it looks brand new! Thanks.”

 

“How come you didn’t tell me you sewed?” Carlos asked as he glanced to Evie, a look of slight hurt shining through his gaze. “I could’ve traded sewing lessons for computer lessons.”

 

“I never thought to bring it up.” Evie admitted with a hum. “I sew for people around campus so they don’t have to send for money or clothes from their parents. Occasionally they’ll pay me.”

 

“She’s a sewing guru, I told you to let her take a look at the patch work you need done on that shirt you like.” Jay reminded him as he set his jacket on his lap. “She’s saved me a million times from asking my parents for new clothes.”

 

“I’ll have to teach you how sometime, Carlos,” Evie offered, the awe appearing on her face as Carlos eagerly nodded. “Oh my Gods, think of all the stuff we could sew together. We could open our own line.”

 

“Do you work with leather?” Carlos asked.

 

“I’ve made myself a few different leather pieces.” Evie nodded, her lips curling into a smirk of amusement when she noticed Mal perk up at the information. “I just finished a new leather skirt that I might wear soon.”

 

“Leather skirt?” Mal repeated, her eyes widening.

 

“Yeah. My parents aren’t too fond of my purchases of leather material, but I love it. I even went ahead and made myself a new leather jacket. Of course, it’s blue.” Evie beamed as she looked towards Mal. “I bet I could make you one too.”

 

“Uh, I’m good. I think I have all the clothes that I need right now.” Mal assured her as she glanced down at her favorite jacket before furrowing her brow. “I mean, unless you _wanted_ to make me something.”

 

“I could definitely make you something.” Evie hummed as she scanned Mal over, tapping her finger against her chin. “I bet I could make you a new jacket, maybe incorporate a color that _isn’t_ purple.”

 

“If it isn’t purple then I’m not wearing it.” Mal warned with a glare.

 

“But you’re giving me permission to make you an outfit as long as it’s purple?” Evie asked, Mal rolling her eyes before giving a short nod of approval. “Yes! I’m going to start working on something soon.”

 

“Speaking of making outfits, are you still down for making my coronation outfit?” Jay asked, a small smile appearing on his face as Carlos reached out to take his jacket from him. “My parents said they’ll supply the material for you.”

 

“Can I make it red?” Evie questioned with a narrowed eyed look.

 

“As long as you make me a vest, I really don’t care what color it is.” Jay chuckled, his expression turning adoring as Carlos shrugged on his worn jacket. “Would you consider making Carlos a coronation outfit too?”

 

“Wait, wait. What are you guys talking about?” Mal demanded.

 

“My brother’s coronation is in a couple months.” Evie explained as she turned her attention to Mal. “It’s a huge celebration. The entire school is dismissed so we can attend, and all of Auradon comes to watch.”

 

“So, it’s a big deal?” Mal frowned. “And Carlos and I can go?”

 

“Well, yeah. Of course you can.” Evie nodded as she looked towards Jay who was too busy staring at a silent Carlos. “Everyone goes and you guys aren’t an exception. You’ll probably both have to stand in the balcony though.”

 

“Where are you guys gonna be?” Carlos asked.

 

“Well, I’ll be up front with my parents and if I uh if I had a significant other then they’d stand up front with Audrey since she’s Ben’s girlfriend.” Evie muttered, her pale cheeks lighting with color. “Same for Jay.”

 

“Yeah, royalty um stands up front with all the other kings and queens. It’s really not that great. It’s boring.” Jay shrugged as he looked nervously towards a fidgeting Evie. “Well, so I’ve heard. We’ve never actually be to one before.”

 

“Oh.” Mal nodded. “Sounds like a good time.”

 

“It is. I’ve heard that things can get pretty crazy.” Jay chuckled, the happiness shining from his gaze for a moment as he licked his lips. “I mean, think of how fun it’ll be if both of us actually have dates. Evie, have you asked…”

 

“No.” Evie jumped in, her eyes widening.

 

“What? Do you have someone in mind, Evie?” Mal questioned as she forced a smile onto her face, her eyebrow arching slowly. “You didn’t tell me you had your eye on anyone, princess. Someone I know?”

 

“I-I was only joking. I’m sure Evie will attend by herself.” Jay shrugged, the boy flinching as he met Carlos’ slight glare. “Well, not to be rude or anything but I have to walk Carlos back to his dorm so…”

 

“Oh, you want us to leave so you can suck his face off.” Evie teased.

 

Mal snorted at the way both Carlos and Jay began to sputter out excuses and denial to her words before the girl shoved Evie towards the door, the taller girl making loud kissing noises at the pair as she mimed holding someone close to her. Stumbling into the hallway, Evie scrunched her nose with a soft giggle as she looked at Mal who stared at her with amusement and something close to fondness on her face before she nodded her head towards the door and walked alongside her friend.

 

“So,” Mal began. “This date…?”

 

“It isn’t real, Mal. I’m not interested in anyone right now.” Evie sighed before her brow furrowed as she chanced a glance towards Mal. “Well, that’s not true. I _am_ interested in someone. Sort of. Maybe. I don’t know.”

 

“Ah, so there _is_ someone?” Mal scoffed, her jaw tightening for a moment as she tried to ignore the burn that rolled through her stomach. “Well, I hope who ever it is works out. You deserve to have the best on your arm.”

 

“Maybe I will.” Evie shrugged. “Time will only tell.”

 

Mal was silent as they continued their walk to the dorms, Mal was trying to ignore the clawing in her gut; all she could do was picture Evie with someone else and it pained her more than she cared to admit, it caused a roll of anger to burn through her. Clenching her hands into fists, Mal sped up her walk subtly in an attempt to avoid anymore interactions with Evie; she didn’t think she could stand in front of Evie and tell her that she was okay with the idea of her dating someone, okay with the idea of someone touching her. She knew she didn’t have the right to be jealous, it isn’t like she stamped some weird claim on the princess.

 

“Mal, slow down,” Evie pleaded. “I’m wearing heels, remember?”

 

“Not my problem, princess. Maybe you should invest in some more sensible shoes and you wouldn’t have a problem.” Mal snapped over her shoulder.

 

“Okay, what’s going on with you?” Evie demanded as she hurried to catch up with Mal, the younger girl huffing as she tossed a glare her way. “Mal, we’ve talked about this, you can’t just shut down when you’re pissed off about something.”

 

“It’s easier then opening my mouth and upsetting the person I’m pissed at.” Mal grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, her head bowing slightly. “I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

 

Evie walked alongside her with a look of confusion, “What did I do?”

 

“Nothing.” Mal muttered.

 

“Mal, come on,” Evie begged. “Just talk to me.”

 

“Don’t pout at me, princess,” Mal snorted when she caught sight of the way Evie was slowly batting her lashes at her. “Go use that look your precious date.”

 

Evie widened her eyes in surprise at the fire in Mal’s tone as she watched the girl storm into the hallway leading to their dorms. Evie was thrown, she didn't know how to respond. This was a side of Mal she had yet to encounter, a side of Mal that showed her just how deep they both were in already. Evie smiled to herself in awe before scurrying to catch up with the girl as she caught her bicep before yanking her to a short stop.

 

“Can you stop for five seconds?” Evie pleaded.

 

“What’s the point? I don’t have time for this.” Mal sighed as she attempted to pull her arm free of Evie’s grasp, her empty hand going to shove in her pocket for her room key. “I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”

 

“Mal.” Evie hissed as she finally pulled Mal to a stop. “Why are you so upset about somebody that I _may_ ask to the coronation? It’s not even a for sure thing.”

 

“It’s the principal of the matter.” Mal replied with a scowl.

 

“Mal, you really are dense sometimes.” Evie hummed as she ducked her head, peering up through her long lashes. “I don’t want to ask just _anyone_ to the coronation, okay?”

 

“Well, who is it? It’s not Chad, right?” Mal demanded before she glanced up to see the blush on Evie’s cheeks, her breath catching slightly. “Wait a second. Did you mean…?”

 

“Yes. Maybe. I’m not sure.” Evie admitted with a subtle furrow of her brow.

 

“You’re not sure if you were talking about me?” Mal questioned, Evie giving a hard swallow before nodding her head. “Well, that’s…fantastic. It’d be nice to know what’s going on instead of being kept in the dark.”

 

Evie frowned slightly, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Us!” Mal exclaimed, her voice rising slightly in annoyance. “Whatever it is between us, whatever the two of us are avoiding. It’s like neither of us wants to admit that there might be something between us.”

 

“That’s not true. I’m just…waiting.” Evie offered as she licked nervously at her lip, pulling it into her mouth for a moment. “It’s a lot to think about, okay? I just don’t know if I’m ready to say anything just yet.”

 

“You already _are_ saying something.” Mal grumbled.

 

“I just…I don’t know right now, okay?” Evie sighed as she reached out to catch Mal’s hand in her own. “I know that we should, but I don’t think either of us are quite ready to. I think we should just keep things the way they are.”

 

“So, we’re just going to act like there’s nothing here?” Mal demanded, the frustration bleeding into her voice. “I know that it’s a lot to take in, but I think we should talk about it. We can’t just keep ignoring it.”

 

“Mal, it’s for the best right now. We can talk about this some other time.” Evie whispered as she stared down at her and Mal’s hands, her tongue darting out to lick at her lips. “It’s late. I should probably get back to my dorm.”

 

“Yeah.” Mal nodded. “Okay. Evil dreams.”

 

Evie giggled as she shook her head, “Goodnight, Mal. _Sweet_ dreams.”

 

Evie gave Mal a soft smile as she squeezed her hand before letting go, the touch lingering as long as possible before Evie wondered her way down the hallway towards her own dorm leaving Mal to watch her go. Groaning, Mal squeezed her eyes shut as she allowed her head to fall back against the door with a small thud. Like so many times before, Mal could feel the familiar buzz of want in her body as she thought of Evie, as the girl’s face clouded her judgement.

 

All she wanted was for the girl to just admit how she felt, to confirm whatever was going on between them. All she needed was for Evie to just open her mouth and allow the truth to spill from her, all she needed to hear was that Evie felt the same. Mal tensed against the door as her eyes popped open before she reached for the flap of her satchel, lifting it with shaking hands as she grabbed her spell book and eagerly flipped through the pages in search of something, her lower lip tucked between her rows of teeth. Finally, after a few silent minutes, Mal felt her lips turn up into a small smirk as she stared at the recipe before giving a nod of happiness as she pulled her cell phone (given to her by an all too excited Ben and Evie) from her pocket and texted a familiar number.

 

-

 

“Mal?”

 

Shoving off the wall, Mal smirked as she caught sight of a confused Carlos scurrying towards her. Nodding in greeting to the boy, Mal gestured to the door and watched as he came to a stop in front of her and scanned the kitchen over. She had barely had time to see Carlos, both of them caught up in school work and their budding relationships. So, when this scheme came to her it only felt fair to include her partner in crime. After all, Carlos was the brain of most of their entire operations.

 

“You asked me to meet you down here because you wanted a midnight snack?” Carlos asked as he glanced towards his friend. “Mal, I was in the middle of studying. No offense, but I don’t have time for this.”

 

“Relax, goodie boy.” Mal sighed as she shoved into the school’s kitchen, the girl reaching over to flick the light on. “I need your help with something. I have to make cookies and I’ve kinda never done that before.”

 

“Cookies?” Carlos repeated. “For what?”

 

“Evie.”

 

“You’re making cookies for _Evie_?” Carlos gaped, his thick eyebrows rising in shock. “Wow. Who would’ve thought that you of all people would like somebody so much that you’d willingly make them cookies? Not so bad after all, Mal.”

 

“These are special cookies.” Mal purred as she moved to stand at the island in the center of the kitchen, dropping her spell book on the table. “I think it’s time that things speed up a little with Evie and I.”

 

Carlos scowled, “You want to create a love spell for her?”

 

“No, of course not.” Mal scoffed as she flicked the book open, her eyes dancing over each page before her. “It’s not going to be a love potion, it’s a truth potion. I just want to know what’s going on in her head.”

 

“There are better ways to go about this.” Carlos scoffed as he folded his arms over his chest, a look of irritation on his face. “You could just ask her like a normal person. Or wait for her to say something to you.”

 

“Tried that. Didn’t work out.” Mal grumbled. “Plus this is so much faster.”

 

“Mal, I just don’t think this is a good idea.” Carlos frowned as he watched Mal reach into the cabinet beneath the island and pull a bowl free. “You could get in serious trouble for this, y’know? What if she finds out?”

 

“Look, I’m not the best at being patient,” Mal hissed as she looked around the room, the girl moving forward to grab a bag of flour. “I’ve been waiting too long to figure out what’s happening and I’m running out of patience.”

 

“She’s going to figure it out…”

 

“No she won’t.” Mal snapped as she shot him a glare. “All she needs to do is take a little bite of the cookie, I’ll ask the question, I’ll undo the truth spell, and then she can go on her merry way of being Princess Perfect.”

 

“I just don’t think you’re going about this in the right way.” Carlos muttered as he shook his head and watched his friend gather together the rest of the ingredients. “Normal people would just ask…”

 

“I tried that, Carlos. I tried to talk, she didn’t want to. I need to know.” Mal growled as she tapped a finger against the spell written in her book. “I promise you that I’ll reverse the spell before any damage can be done.”

 

“Mal, you’re breaking your trust with her. Too much damage will be done to fix it.” Carlos pointed out. “And Jay will kill you if he finds out that you spelled his best friend.”

 

“Then don’t tell him.” Mal sneered as she began to add the correct measurements to the bowl resting in front of her, her green eyes snapping towards Carlos. “You’re not going to tell him about this, _right_?”

 

“Right.” Carlos nodded with a hard swallow.

 

The two worked in silence as Mal quickly figured out the right recipe before hurrying to create the cookie dough; Carlos stood alongside her and watched with a look of hesitation, his gaze dancing to watch her smile and the way her eyes seemed to drift away. Carlos knew that Mal had feelings for Evie and he could only imagine how confused she was, he had been the same way before Jay had finally admitted to liking him; even now, he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that somebody actually _liked_ him.

 

He had been raised to believe that love was weakness and relationships should only be held on a physical aspect rather than the worry of feelings, but with Jay it was different; with Jay, everything felt right and everything made him happy. It just felt right to burrow himself in his arms when he felt scared, it felt right to press a kiss to his lips whenever Jay made him smile, it felt right to talk to Jay about his insecurities and his fears, and it felt right to know that he was falling in love. He just wished that Mal would soften the way he was, he wished that there was a way to help his friend realize that this good thing wasn’t so bad and that the happiness and warmth in her heart wasn’t something she needed to be running away from.

 

“So,” Mal began, breaking the boy from his thoughts. “How did you get Jay to admit how he felt?”

 

Carlos widened his eyes at her question before he blushed, “I didn’t get him to admit anything, he chose to. We’re still in the early stages of figuring everything out. It’s a lot to take in, you know? Nobody has ever felt that way about me before.”

 

“So, he’s good with you? He doesn’t push you into anything?” Mal asked as she stirred the cookie dough, Carlos peeking into the bowl. “I’m just afraid that once Evie and I finally admit to whatever is happening between us that things will change.”

 

“Nothing has changed with Jay. He still treats me exactly like he did before, the only difference is there’s more of a physical affection between us.” Carlos shrugged. “And I actually welcome it. I like it.”

 

“I never thought I’d see the day where _you_ were okay with physical affection.” Mal teased with a lopsided smile as she glanced down into the bowl. “I just want things to happen, you know? I need to know if this is worth it.”

 

“Mal, you don’t have to force this talk out of her,” Carlos whispered, his dark eyes flickering over her face. “Do you want to have this talk or are you trying to find out if she _really_ has feelings for you?”

 

“I don’t know.” Mal muttered.

 

“Mal…”

 

“Look, I just need to know. I can’t keep up with this whole bullshit just friends thing. It’s stupid.” Mal sneered as she stared down at the potion she had created, her hands hesitating over the dough. “Why am I doubting myself?”

 

“About the potion?” Carlos frowned. “Well, because you know it’s wrong.”

 

“Is it though? I’ve known her for almost three months and yet she’s still tight lipped about this _thing_ between us.” Mal snipped. “She’s had every opportunity to do something about it yet she just avoids it all together.”

 

“She’s giving you time, Mal. Jay may have admitted to liking me first, but he’s let me set the pace ever since then. He says he wants it all to happen on _my_ terms.” Carlos explained with a small smile. “They know we’ve been through hell, they’re trying to protect us.”

 

“I don’t need her protection.” Mal hissed. “I need answers.”

 

“So, you’re choosing to spell someone that trusts you? You’re going to force something out of someone who isn’t ready to tell you?” Carlos pointed out with a frown. “That isn’t very good of you, Mal. That’s…evil.”

 

“Evil is as evil does.” Mal hissed.

 

“Mal…” Carlos frowned, his gaze full of worry.

 

“Just hand me the cookie sheet, Carlos.” Mal ordered.


	5. Maybe We Could Happen

A scowl was planted firmly on Mal’s face as a student accidentally bumped into her, the girl huffing as she shouldered past him. Moving towards her locker, Mal smiled slightly at the sight of her artwork before spinning in her combination. Biting her lower lip, Mal reached into her satchel to pull the container holding the truth cookie she had made for Evie; hesitating for a moment, the girl set it in the back of her locker and stared at it for a long moment as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. The conversation with Carlos replayed in her head over and over, his words seeping into her veins and reminding her what she was doing; after all the good she had learned, she was throwing it away for a selfish reason and she was terrified of what price she was going to have to pay.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Mal tensed at the chipper voice before she glanced over her shoulder to see Evie skipping towards her. For a moment, her heart went wild. She had to calm the thoughts churning through her head as her green eyes scanned over Evie’s leather skirt and blue shirt with a small smirk on her face before she licked her lips while lifting an eyebrow. Mal knew she herself looked good in leather, but she never knew someone could look _this_ good; Evie literally looked like a dream in her outfit.

 

“I like the skirt.” Mal chuckled. “This the one you were talking about?”

 

“It is! I finished working on it last night. Isn’t it cute?” Evie beamed as she twirled to present her newest piece, Mal nodding as she admired the view for a moment. “I’m thinking that leather might be my new favorite thing.”

 

“I told you that it’s amazing.” Mal said as she reached into her locker, the girl grasping onto the sugar cookie waiting in back before she pulled it free. “So, after our talk last night, I decided to do some late night baking.”

 

“You? _Baking_?” Evie snorted. “I would’ve paid to see that.”

 

“Well, it was…interesting. Not something I’m used to, that’s for sure. I ended up asking Carlos to help me.” Mal sighed as she turned to face Evie, the sugar cookie safely trapped in a plastic container. “I even saved you one.”

 

“Oh, that’s so nice of you.” Evie smiled. “I’ll have to save it for lunch.”

 

“What? No. You should uh you should eat it now.” Mal suggested as she offered the plastic to the older girl, Evie flashing it a confused glance. “Come on, it’s really good. Think of it as a mid-morning snack.”

 

Evie slowly narrowed her eyes, “I’m good. I can wait.”

 

“Come on,” Mal pleaded. “I spent a lot of time in the kitchen making these.”

 

Evie sucked in a breath as she glanced from the cookie to Mal, her features fading into a scowl as she licked at her lips. Shaking her head, Evie continued to stare at the cookie before finally lifting brown eyes to meet green and staring for a long moment. She could see something shining in Mal’s gaze, a guilt. She knew there was more behind the little kitchen adventure, she knew Mal was trying to hide something from her. Something she knew Evie clearly would _not_ approve of. Trying to ignore the anger that pushed at her, Evie simply shook her head as she settled a hand on top of the container and tapped her painted nails against it while trying to bite back her hurt.

 

“You don’t need to give me a potion, Mal.” Evie whispered as she pushed the cookie back towards the younger girl. “So, I’m not going to eat the cookie and you’re not going to try and spell me again, alright?”

 

Mal felt her breath catch as she watched Evie slowly fold her arms over her chest, “What? There’s…I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just made a batch of cookies and I thought you might want one.”

 

“I don’t believe you.” Evie confessed as she leaned against the lockers. “I know there’s something in those cookies, I can see it all over your face. I’m not sure _why_ you want to spell me, but if my gut is right then I’m not going to let a spell influence when we talk about us.”

 

“What?” Mal scowled.

 

“You want to talk about us.” Evie sighed with a slight blush. “But I’m not going to eat a cookie and have something influence me to tell you about what’s going on in my head or have it make me fall head over heels in love with you. I’ll do it in my own time.”

 

“It’s not…how did you know?” Mal groaned as she pouted down at the dessert, Evie giggling at the expression before watching as Mal’s features slowly sobered slightly. “Can you just answer one question? Are your feelings for me good?”

 

“Yes.” Evie nodded as she tapped Mal on the nose.

 

“Yeah, I don’t like that.” Mal scowled as she crossed her eyes to stare down at her nose before glancing up to see Evie’s small amused smile. “So, you’re not mad that I almost spelled you?”

 

“I’m disappointed in you for trying.” Evie admitted with a shrug as she pushed off the lockers, pressing a quick kiss to Mal’s cheek. “Don’t try it again, alright? I won’t be as forgiving next time.”

 

Evie was off before Mal could get a word in leaving the other girl to grumble as she turned to toss the cookie back into her locker, her lower lip protruding as she slammed the metal shut and veered off towards the bathroom. Going about her business, Mal couldn’t deny the annoyance that rolled likes waves through; she had been so close to knowing what Evie felt and it was killing her that the girl was trying to keep it from her, they were hovering over a line that Mal just wanted to jump over. Then again, she knew she should be thankful that Evie hadn’t been too upset about the cookie; Mal knew that she had almost blown up everything and she couldn’t have been more relieved that Evie hadn’t been angry at her for the stunt she tried to pull. Mal sighed heavily as she exited the bathroom stall, a thoughtful expression donning her face as she moved towards the sink. Rushing her hands under warm water, Mal quickly dried them before turning to leave only to collide with a shorter figure.

 

“Oh, I am so…I’m _so_ sorry…” The girl rushed out.

 

“It’s…fine.” Mal offered, her voice tight with the annoyance that was running freely through her veins, the girl brushing a hand over her leather jacket as she looked to the girl. “Um, hi. It’s uh…Jane, right? Evie has told me about you.”

 

Terrified blue eyes met her gaze, “Why?”

 

“Why would she tell me about you? Well, apparently she thinks you’re…nice.” Mal offered, her brow furrowing slightly. “Sorry. I’m trying this whole nice thing out, I’m a little forceful sometimes. Evie said something about being less aggressive.”

 

“You should listen to her advice.” Jane mumbled as she ducked her head.

 

“Hey, this is all kinda new to me. The niceness and everything.” Mal explained as she licked anxiously at her lips. “Evie says I’m supposed to…compliment people. So, I like your uh your _personality_. It seems nice.”

 

Jane deflated as she dropped her gaze, “I’d rather be pretty, but thanks for the attempt. I mean, you have such great hair. I-I really like it. I wish my hair looked like that.”

 

“Oh really? You know, I have just the thing for you…” Mal smiled as she reached into her satchel, pulling her spell book free as she searched through the pages before gliding a finger over a page. “Want me to try?”

 

“Try?” Jane repeated with a look of fear.

 

“Yeah, try a spell. It’s nothing bad.” Mal assured her, the eagerness seeping into her tone as her green eyes brightened. “Beware, for swear, replace the old with brand new hair.”

 

Jane squealed in protest as Mal moved her finger with an eager wave of her hand, her head whipping in each direction before her locks began to grow. Gasping, the girl hurried to look in the mirror as she took in the sight of her brand new locks. The once shoulder length hair had grown a few inches and had a perfect curl to it, the brown locks now flowing freely. Blue eyes darted frantically over her features as Jane pulled at her hair, the awe clear on her face as she gaped for a long moment. Mal beamed in pride as she looked at the hair that brushed along Jane’s shoulders, the fear in blue eyes dwindling into shock as Jane began to fiddle with her hair before she turned to Mal with a hopeful expression before glancing to the book.

 

“That’s amazing!” Jane exclaimed. “Can you do that with anything?”

 

“I mean,” Mal frowned as she glanced down at the spell book, her thumb gliding through yellowing pages as she tilted her head. “I guess. I’ve never really done a spell for somebody else before. You’re a first.”

 

“That’s so amazing.” Jane whispered. “Could you fix my nose?”

 

Mal flashed her a look of slight exasperation as she closed her book, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Your mom says I’m supposed to keep myself away from spells so if you didn’t mention this to her then that’d be great.”

 

“Oh.” Jane frowned.

 

“I’m…sorry.” Mal offered, cringing at how easy the word was now staring to come from her before she shook her head. “Why don’t you just ask your mom to help you out? Doesn’t she have like a magic wand or whatever?”

 

“She’s retired her wand, only brings it out for special occasions. She’ll be using it for Ben’s coronation and then back to the museum.” Jane mumbled. “And even if I asked she wouldn’t, she says I’m perfect the way I am.”

 

“That’s too bad.” Mal mumbled as she awkwardly cleared her throat.

 

“Thanks for this.” Jane whispered.

 

“Don’t mention it.” Mal shrugged. “Like, _really_ don’t mention it.”

 

Mal smiled softly at Jane who seemed too wrapped up in her locks to notice, the purple-haired girl shaking her head in amazement as she exited the bathroom and grunted as she bumped into another body, her amazement turning to annoyance.

 

“People really don’t look where they’re going here.” Mal snapped.

 

“Sorry, Mal.”

 

Mal’s head snapped up as she smiled softly, “Oh. Okay. As long as it’s you.”

 

“So, how did the cookie thing go?” Carlos asked with a slight frown. “Not that I support the idea, but I’m hoping it worked in your favor so you can promise to never spell one of our friends again because…”

 

“Carlos, it didn’t work.” Mal jumped in as she tucked her spell book back into her satchel. “She figured it out. I tried to get her to eat it, but she knew the second I started getting weird about it.”

 

“Well, she is pretty smart.” Carlos reminded her with a shrug.

 

“It was stupid. You were right. I shouldn’t have tried to do something like that.” Mal mumbled, her eyes widening slightly. “This place is changing me. When did _regret_ become a feeling that I have?”

 

“It’s called being good.” Carlos chuckled as he nudged his shoulder against his best friend’s. “Look, I know you’re scared but you need to realize that you’re not evil. You’re turning good, Mal. Be happy.”

 

“Happy?” Mal snorted. “Us?”

 

“Yeah. Us.” Carlos chirped with a bright smile, his orbs brightening. “Look at us, we have good friends and people who want to be with us. We finally have something we never thought we would.”

 

“We fell for people because they’re too pretty for their own good.” Mal grumbled with a slight huff before catching sight of Carlos waving at a passing student. “Friend of yours?”

 

“Yeah. That’s Jesse. He’s my lab partner. He’s cool.” Carlos shrugged as he watched Mal glance over her shoulder to stare at the boy’s retreating figure. “What about you? Made any friends?”

 

“A few. I may have made a new one a little bit ago in the bathroom.” Mal mused before smirking at the confusion on Carlos’ face. “I helped some girl with her hair. It’s weird, I never thought I’d make a friend. At least not one that doesn’t serve a purpose in my life.”

 

“You should make some more. Come with me to the Tourney game this weekend. We still haven’t been to one.” Carlos frowned before his expression turned hesitant. “Jay says a lot of people go to them.”

 

“Don’t worry, lover boy,” Mal chuckled. “I’ll go and protect you till big bad Jay can.”

 

Carlos blushed at her words before smirking as he nudged Mal playfully, “Are you sure you don’t want to go because a certain princess is on the cheer team and their uniforms are probably super short?”

 

“Actually, that’s a large part of why I’m going.”

 

“You’re evil.”

 

“Nah.” Mal smirked. “I’m good, remember?”

 

“Something like that.” Carlos snorted.

 

-

 

“I’m starting to understand why we’ve never gone to these games before.” Mal grumbled as she followed Carlos towards the busy stands. “Are you sure we can’t just ditch this thing?”

 

“I promised Jay I’d go to at least one of his games and Ben has been teaching me Tourney so I can understand what’s happening.” Carlos said over his shoulder. “He wants me to try out for the team next year.”

 

“Oh please, you’ll get smashed out there.” Mal scoffed as they climbed the bleachers, the two searching for an open spot. “You’re too little and this game is insanely physical, you’ll be made into a pile of mush two seconds in.”

 

“Nice to know you have such faith in me.” Carlos huffed.

 

Eventually, the pair was able to find open spots within the group of Lonnie and her friends and soon they were wrapped into the excitement that was pre-game; the band played loudly while people filtered into their seats with popcorn and banners. Mal stood with her arms folded over her chest as Carlos bounced beside her, a bright smile spread across his freckled face as he danced with Dude in his arms while watching the thrill of the game settle in as people moved around the field in preparation.

 

Suddenly, the crowd grew louder and Mal arched her head up slightly to catch sight of the flood of cheerleaders that spilled onto the field wearing blue and yellow uniforms with yellow pompoms held over their heads as they shouted out encouragement for the crowd to join them. Scanning the group over, Mal felt her mouth go dry as she finally caught sight of Evie happily skipping alongside Audrey; butterflies erupted in the depths of Mal’s stomach as she took in the pale skin of Evie’s legs and the bright beam on her face.

 

“Oh my Lucifer.” Mal mumbled with wide eyes.

 

Carlos followed her line of sight before chuckling, “You’re drooling.”

 

“I am not.” Mal snapped, her eyes never leaving Evie as the girl grouped together with the rest of the team as they shouted out a cheer. “I-I knew the uniforms were going to be nice, but whoa. She looks…”

 

“Beautiful?” Carlos offered with an arch of his eyebrow.

 

“Yeah. Uh, yeah. Something like that.” Mal nodded, her stomach erupting in bubbles when brown eyes sought her out and Evie directed a bright smile her way. “Carlos, I think I’m going to throw up. My stomach hurts.”

 

“Those are butterflies, Mal. Well, according to Evie, butterflies in your stomach are just the reduction of blood flowing to the organ.” Carlos shrugged as he juggled Dude in his arms. “She gave me a whole lesson about it when I talked to her about Jay.”

 

Mal pulled her eyes away from Evie long enough to look at Carlos, “You talked to Evie about Jay?”

 

“Well, yeah. She’s his best friend. I had some questions.” Carlos shrugged. “Not to mention, talking to you about this kind of stuff wouldn’t really end well. We’re kind of both new to this whole thing, remember?”

 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have…helped you or something.” Mal grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, the happiness fading into a scowl. “I could’ve given you a spell to use or…”

 

“Spells don’t work well for you, remember?” Carlos teased.

 

Mal opened her mouth to retort only to catch sight of someone fumbling towards them in a knight costume, her brow furrowing in confusion before the hood of the helmet was lifted and she was met with bright blue eyes that shone under the stadium lights. Sucking in a breath, Mal plastered on a smile as she softened her posture in an attempt to come off less intimidating. Waiting patiently, Mal watched as Jane fumbled up the bleachers with an excited expression before she paused before the pair.

 

“Hi, Mal,” Jane panted.

 

“Jane.” Mal nodded. “How are you?”

 

“Good. Well, a little warm. This costume can get pretty boiling.” Jane complained, the hood dropping over her eyes for a beat before she quickly pulled it back up. “I hope I’m not bothering you or anything…”

 

“No. Of course not. Carlos, this is Jane. The girl I met in the bathroom.” Mal mumbled as she gestured with her head towards the bashful girl who gave a shy wave. “So, was there something we could help you with?”

 

“Oh, yes!” Jane gasped, her blue eyes sparkling as she smiled. “A few of the girls asked me who did my hair and when I told them it was you they asked if there was anyway that you could do theirs too.”

 

“I told you not to tell anyone what I did for you.” Mal hissed, Carlos elbowing her side causing her to suck in a breath as she forced a smile. “I can’t do their hair here, but they’re welcome to come to my dorm tomorrow. We can work something out.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, but only a few people. I’m not a hairdresser.” Mal replied, the happiness in her eyes as forced as the smile that was painted across her face. “And after that, I don’t want anyone asking for me to do their hair.”

 

“You’re the best, Mal. You’re not as bad as everyone makes you out to be.” Jane gushed as she stared at the girl with awe in her gaze. “I wish my mom was more like you, she refuses to use magic. Thanks again.”

 

Mal nodded and watched as Jane trudged back towards the field in her knight armor, the purple-haired girl watching her go with a shake of her head before she turned her gaze back to the field where the players were stretching and preparing for the game.

 

Carlos kept his attention on Jay for a moment before shifting Dude in his arms as he turned his attention to his friend, “What are you going to ask for in exchange for doing their hair? Potion ingredients?”

 

“What? No. I’m going to do it for free. From the kindness of my own heart.” Mal replied, the words forced from between clenched teeth as her eye twitched subtly. “I’m trying to be good, remember? It’d be wrong to ask for anything.”

 

“How’d those words taste?” Carlos snickered.

 

“Like acid.” Mal murmured as she looked back to the field, her lips tugging at the corners as she fixed her gaze on Evie who was chattering happily to Audrey. “I’m serious, I’m trying to be good. For her. For you. For myself.”

 

“That’s all anyone can ask of you then.” Carlos shrugged.

 

Mal didn’t get a chance to reply as the game started with a bang, the opposing team spilling onto the team with whoops of excitement while the players of Auradon gathered themselves and hurried to their places. Watching with boredom on her face, Mal had to smother a few yawns as she watched the players slam into each other while the cheerleaders stood off to the side shouting out encouraging cheers and doing an ungodly amount of high kicks. The game seemed like a blur and all Mal could do was watch Evie happily jump around with her pompoms bouncing, her brown eyes lit with happiness as she cheered for her brother and their winning team while turning every now and then to get the crowd louder. Mal wasn’t sure what happened, she just based the good moments off the way Carlos cheered and bounced on the tips of his toes; the most she caught from the game was when Ben scored the winning point and the team piled onto him with tired whoops.

 

“They won!” Carlos yelled. “Mal, they won!”

 

“I uh I see that.” Mal chuckled as she glanced around to see the people of Auradon Prep trading high fives while the team continued to throw themselves at a laughing Ben. “Wow. They take this really serious here, don’t they?”

 

Carlos didn’t bother answering as he excitedly held Dude up while shouting for the boy who had stolen his heart; Mal watched with a small laugh as he stood on the bleacher bench and gave loud whoops and cheers while trying to stay standing as people bumped into him. Eventually, Mal could feel people pushing past her as they scrambled onto the field that had been deserted by the losing team, Mal smirking as she glanced to see the opposite sides of bleachers full of people who hung their heads in disappointment.

 

Try as she might, Mal couldn’t help but get a thrill from seeing their sadness and she gave a hard swallow as she tried to ignore the tickle of a laugh that bubbled in her throat when she caught sight of the opposite team who seemed completely devastated by their loss. Instead, Mal peeled her eyes away from their sorrows in favor of following Carlos down the bleachers and into the herds of students that crowded their players while bouncing up and down as they congratulated them. A hint of a smile ghosted across her face as she watched Evie throw herself into Ben’s arms, the boy laughing happily as he squeezed his sister and spun her around before the two shared excited chatter.

 

“That was so awesome!” Carlos exclaimed.

 

“Yeah, it was uh it was something.” Mal nodded with a roll of her eyes.

 

“I want to play, I think I could be really good.” Carlos gushed as the two squeezed their way through the throngs of teens surrounding them. “You could try out for cheerleading, I bet you’d be a great cheerleader.”

 

“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” Mal purred as she shot the boy a glare, Carlos snickering as his eyes danced around in search of Jay. “Would you like me to hold Dude so you can go kiss the sweat off your boyfriend?”

 

“Now who’s the funny one.” Carlos blushed.

 

“Carlos!”

 

Mal shook her head in amusement as Carlos perked up at the sound of his name, his brown eyes dancing with adoration as Jay shoved through the crowd to sweep his boyfriend into a gentle hug before spinning him away from Mal and into the excitement. Rubbing at her chilled arms, Mal gave a soft shiver before she caught sight of a blue ponytail and a bright beam, lifting her hand Mal gave a small wave and watched as Evie said something to Ben before moving Mal’s way. Evie skipped towards her with a breathless grin as she threw her arms around Mal, the younger girl chuckling as she looped her arms comfortably around Evie’s waist before giving her a soft squeeze as she drew away with a bright smile on her face.

 

“Hi.” Evie whispered.

 

“Hey yourself.” Mal chuckled. “You looked great out there.”

 

“Eh.” Evie shrugged with a hint of a blush.

 

“Eh? E, you were shaking those pompoms so hard that I was afraid they were going to fall apart.” Mal said as she pulled away from the embrace, nudging her shoulder softly. “Not to mention, you never told me you could do the splits.”

 

“It’s not something I usually go around bragging about.” Evie laughed as she glanced over her shoulder at the emptying field. “Thanks for coming tonight, I know you and Carlos usually do movie night instead of coming but…”

 

“Hey, I told you I’d come to at least _one_ of your games. Can’t go back on my promise, princess. A deal is a deal.” Mal shrugged as she gave a slight shiver. “Though I could’ve sworn that these games were supposed to be during the day.”

 

“Tonight was our game to see if we qualify for finals, these games are usually at night. Just wait till you come to the championship, _that_ is some exciting stuff.” Evie beamed. “Not to mention, we get a halftime show.”

 

“Hm. I may have to come to one more game.” Mal smirked.

 

“Oh ha, you’re so funny.” Evie snorted before she glanced around to see the students slowly walking from the field. “We should probably go. I just need to go grab my duffel bag and then we can go ahead and get out of here.”

 

Evie turned to hurry off leaving Mal to glance around, Audrey walking past her with a scowl on her face as she continued on towards Chad who bent his head down to whisper something to the princess. Biting her lower lip, Mal tried to ignore the pair as they sneered her way. Shaking her head, Mal folded her arms over her chest in search of some warmth and tried to ignore the burn that she felt on her back as she heard the sound of Audrey’s tinkling giggle that filled the air behind her while Chad chuckled deeply. Squeezing her teeth together, Mal gave an annoyed swallow before breathing a sigh of relief as Evie moved towards her with an Auradon Prep duffel bag balanced on her shoulder and her form now wrapped in a letterman that looked all kinds of warm.

 

“Ready?” Evie breathed out.

 

“Always.” Mal nodded.

 

The pair traded small conversation as they wondered away from the field, Mal sparing a glance over her shoulder to see Audrey and Chad watching them walk away with a look of irritation on their face. Shooting them a wink, Mal reached out to slide her arm to lock with Evie’s. As they walked, Mal couldn’t help but shiver as her teeth chattered. The evening night had settled and the coolness of the kingdom had washed over the air leaving Mal to kick herself for leaving her leather jacket laying helplessly on the floor of her dorm room.

 

“You okay?” Evie asked in a soft whisper.

 

“I-I’m fine.” Mal assured her through chattering teeth.

 

“Are you cold?” Evie demanded as she noticed the trail of chill bumps going up Mal’s arms, the girl quickly removing her letterman and draping it over Mal’s shoulders. “There. Snug as a perfectly fitted crown.”

 

“You know, this is the second jacket you’ve given me,” Mal mused as she settled into the warm material of the letterman, her eyes rising to peek up through her lashes. “Better watch yourself, princess, I’m going to end up with a closet full of your clothes.”

 

“I don’t see a problem with that.” Evie shrugged as she bounced alongside Mal, the smile on her face causing one to slide across Mal’s. “Let me walk you to the quad, Ben is supposed to meet me up there so we can go.”

 

“You’re not going back to the dorms tonight?” Mal frowned.

 

“No.” Evie sighed as she trailed alongside her friend. “My parents signed Ben and I out for the evening so we can have tonight and Saturday with them. I should be back Sunday morning. We should do something.”

 

“Yeah?” Mal smiled, her eyes sparkling as she watched Evie nod excitedly, nibbling at her lower lip Mal tried to push down her nerves as she looked at the girl. “Cool. Uh, yeah. Let’s do something. Are we going to…y’know?”

 

“Talk?” Evie guessed.

 

“Yeah.” Mal nodded. “That.”

 

“We’ll see.” Evie shrugged.

 

Mal narrowed her eyes at the older girl as the two followed the sea of students that wondered their way towards the dorms, Evie sighing as they reached the quad and she caught sight of her brother climbing into the limo, the door left open in silent invitation. Pausing a few feet away from the car, Evie pulled her duffel bag further up her shoulder and flashed Mal a small smile. Shifting nervously, Mal fiddled with the sleeves of Evie’s jacket before clearing her throat as she tried to stop the swarm of butterflies drifting through her.

 

“So, Sunday? That talk?” Mal asked.

 

“Maybe.” Evie replied in a teasing voice, the soft honk of a horn causing her to back away as she flashed Mal a lopsided smile. “I mean, we’ll talk about it sooner or later.”

 

“I’d prefer sooner.” Mal called after her.

 

Evie simply giggled as she skipped away to the limo leaving Mal to watch as she climbed in beside her brother, the door slamming shut before the car pulled away. Tightening her fists around the sides of Evie’s jacket, she pulled it tighter around her form and smiled. Shaking her head, Mal began to back away with a soft laugh of amazement as she replayed her evening before turning to walk away. Much to her own surprise, she couldn’t wait to finally have that talk with Evie.


	6. With Every Hour, I'm Falling In

Mal groaned as she heard the annoying chipper voice belonging to her roommate, the girl turning into her pillow to block out the conversation taking place. Lonnie was exactly as Evie described her, loud and occasionally obnoxious. But she also made it a point to befriend Mal, to make her feel welcome. So, Mal put up with her mouth that never seemed to stop moving while Lonnie put up with her attitude and cold demeanor. Mal figured it was a fair trade. Peeking from the soft material, Mal scowled at the sight of the clock blinking a red eight.

 

“Lonnie,” Mal hissed. “Shut up.”

 

A familiar giggle sounded and Mal quickly pulled the pillow from her face before sitting up. She knew that giggle, she had grown fond of it much to her displeasure. A reluctant grin pulled at her lips as she was met with Evie standing at the end of her bed with her hands resting on her hips and her head tilted. She looked as beautiful as ever, so effortlessly ready to begin her day. Mal had no idea how Evie did it, how she woke every morning and prepared herself for twenty four hours of perfection.

 

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Evie whispered, her voice raspy and low.

 

“Good morning? No. It shouldn’t even been considered morning right now.” Mal grumbled as she fell back on her bed, her arms spread. “Did Lonnie leave?”

 

“She headed down to breakfast, and left me with the wonderful task of waking you up which I don’t even need to do.” Evie chirped as she leaned against the bedpost. “I’m kinda disappointed, I was going to jump on you.”

 

“That sounds appealing.” Mal mused. “How about I go back to sleep?”

 

“No.” Evie laughed as she swung around the post, dropping her knees to rest against the edge of Mal’s bed. “You need to get up and get dressed. I’m taking you somewhere.”

 

“You’re taking me somewhere?” Mal mocked with a scrunched nose.

 

“I am. So, get up and get ready.“ Evie ordered as she tapped Mal’s nose.

 

“What have I told you about doing that?” Mal whined as she yanked away from Evie’s finger, her feet pressing against the cold hardwood floor. “You’re lucky I like you, princess. I don’t get up at eight on a Sunday for just anyone.”

 

“I figured as much, but you missed me this weekend so I know you will.” Evie hummed as she began to back away from the bed. “Wear something…casual. Nothing too exciting.”

 

Mal laughed in amusement as Evie bumped into the door, the princess blushing as she reached for the handle before ducking into the hallway leaving Mal to turn back towards her waiting closet. With wide eyes, Mal tried to figure out just what to wear. After ten minutes of going through her clothes, seven minutes of arguing with herself over what she finally picked, nine minutes of doing her hair, and five minutes of cursing herself for putting on makeup, Mal was ready for whatever adventure Evie had planned. Poking her head out of the dorm room, Mal chuckled at the sight of Evie leaning coolly against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, her smile almost as bright as the tiara placed perfectly on her dark hair.

 

“You look beautiful.” Evie whispered.

 

“It’s just a dress, princess.” Mal snorted.

 

“Well, it’s a beautiful dress worn by a beautiful girl.” Evie shrugged as she shoved off the wall before offering her arm to Mal, the girl taking it with a hesitant expression. “Now, are you ready for a nice afternoon away from school?”

 

“Any second away from this place is the best thing in the world.” Mal sneered, her gaze bouncing up to catch the way Evie’s eyebrow slowly arched. “But yes, I’m ready for an afternoon with you.”

 

“Now, that’s what I like to hear.” Evie smirked.

 

-

 

“Dude. Sit.”

 

Jay glanced up from his phone as he watched Carlos speak happily to his companion, the dog hesitating before following the order. Chuckling to himself, Jay finished shooting a text to his mother before pocketing his phone and sliding off the table. He liked to watch Carlos like this, relaxed and happy. He had learned that Carlos had a hard time actually enjoying his happiness, he had told Jay time and time again that he just didn't deserve it. Jay, of course, disagreed. If anyone deserved happiness, it was his boyfriend and he was content to provide as much of it as he could.

 

“Are you going to teach him cooler tricks than that?” Jay asked as he moved to squat beside Carlos. “You should teach him how to play dead or roll over. Sitting is too basic.”

 

“I figured I should start with basic stuff.” Carlos shrugged as he patted his chest, Dude trotting towards him and plopping down at his feet. “I don’t want to overwhelm him.”

 

“I get that.” Jay nodded before he cleared his throat. “So, I was just texting with my mom and she was hoping that you’d be interested in meeting them. She said she’d send for a car if you’re up for dinner.”

 

Carlos froze with his hand pressed to Dude’s head, “You want me to meet your parents?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, if you want.” Jay mumbled, a hesitance appearing in his voice as he watched Carlos. “I know that it seems overwhelming, but my parents are pretty chill. My dad more so than my mom.”

 

“I just…Hercules and Megara want to meet _me_?” Carlos squeaked as he plopped down, Dude easily curling in his lap. “Are you sure that they’re not just doing this to please you?”

 

“Carlos, I think you forget that my mom used to be kinda evil.” Jay chuckled as he dropped beside Carlos. “I mean, not Jafar level evil but she did some bad things. She’s not going to judge you.”

 

Carlos nodded slowly, “What’s it like?”

 

“What’s what like?”

 

“Having parents like that. Having parents that treat you right.” Carlos whispered as he kept his focus on Dude. “I-I wonder sometimes what it must be like to have people who love you.”

 

“It’s amazing.” Jay confessed as he reached to curl an arm around Carlos, pulling him close. “And you _do_ have people who love you, Carlos. I know it’s hard to believe, but you’re pretty damn lovable.”

 

“Tell that to my mother.” Carlos mumbled.

 

Jay sucked in a breath as he scowled, “I don’t think I’d waste any words on your mother. I’d just have her thrown in the closest dungeon and make her feel twice the pain she put you in.”

 

“I don’t think you’ll ever be able to top that.” Carlos muttered. “Mal and I spent a lot of nights freezing and starving. And if we weren’t out on the streets then we were usually bruised and beaten in a closet.”

 

Jaw clenched his jaw slowly, “Why? Why did they treat you like that?”

 

“Because they’re evil.” Carlos scoffed, his head nudging under Jay’s chin till he could curl against his chest. “The things they did to Mal and I…I can’t even tell you because it hurts too much to talk about.”

 

“You don’t have to say a thing.” Jay assured him as he turned his head to press a kiss to white curls. “You don’t ever have to talk about the Isle, okay? I would never push you into that.”

 

Carlos was silent for a long moment, “I’ve done bad things, Jay.”

 

“Who hasn’t?” Jay shrugged.

 

“I’ve stolen things from people. I-I’ve hurt people. Mal and I have done things that nobody should do to feed ourselves.” Carlos murmured. “We had to do it though, we _had_ to. We had to survive.”

 

“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” Jay soothed as he tightened his grasp on Carlos. “I get it. You did what you had to do to stay alive and nobody can fault you for that.”

 

Carlos heaved a soft breath against Jay’s neck, “I’m glad I found you.”

 

“I’m glad you found me too.” Jay chuckled as he nudged his nose against curls, his eyes closing. “I promise you that I’ll protect you, Carlos. I’ll take care of you from now on, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Carlos hummed. “And Mal?”

 

“I think Evie has that taken care of.” Jay laughed. “But yeah, Mal too.”

 

Carlos didn’t say anything more as he curledf urther into Jay’s embrace with Dude pressed between them. The students of the campus pattered around them as they sat under the tree, but Carlos could only focus on the sound of Jay’s heartbeat and that was enough for now. He knew he had a long road ahead of him, Cruella’s abuse would always haunt him. He knew he would forever live with the nightmares, the memories, and the scars. He was learning that it was all just a part of who he was, and nobody could change that.

 

“So? Dinner?” Jay mumbled.

 

“Yeah.” Carlos breathed out. “I’d love that.”

 

-

 

Mal heaved a long breath as she trailed slightly behind Evie, the girl’s hand clasped tightly in her own as they wondered down a dirt path. It kind of irritates her how far she will go to make Evie happy, how much she will risk. Why else would she be up this early on a Sunday? Why else would she be traipsing through the forest with a forced smile? It’s all because of Evie and her stupid, perfect smile. Evie ducked under a branch before releasing Mal’s hand as she lifted it for her with a small smile.

 

“Thanks.” Mal grumbled.

 

Darting under the branch, Mal paused and waited for Evie to join her again before she reached out to take the girl’s hand in her own causing a shy expression to flash across Evie’s face. Evie had whisked Mal away in a fancy limo that had taken them to a forest at the edge of the kingdom, and Mal had simply narrowed her eyes in wonder when the car had driven off the second they were faced with a dirt path waiting for them. Instead of questioning it, Mal had simply accepted the empty hand Evie had offered her while the princess had juggled a picnic basket in the other; but now, Mal was regretting her silence as they ducked under yet another branch.

 

“Evie, we’ve been walking forever.” Mal whined.

 

“We’re almost there. I promise. I guess I forgot how far away this place was.” Evie frowned as she led Mal further down the path. “I’m taking you to this spot that Ben and I used to go to, our parents took us here a lot when we were kids.”

 

“You’re telling me that the king and queen actually explored the woods and willingly allowed their children to roam freely through it?” Mal chuckled as skipped forward slightly to keep up with Evie’s steps.

 

“Well, it’s not like there was anything bad out there to hurt us.” Evie shrugged. “I mean, there was an occasional lone wolf or bobcat, but other than that we’ve always been perfectly safe. Ben and I love it out here.”

 

“And only you guys know about it?”

 

“Unfortunately not. My parents may have discovered it, but it didn’t take long for people to stumble upon it too.” Evie sighed as she glanced over her shoulder. “But it was vacant for our childhood years and that’s all that matters.”

 

“You had such an amazing childhood.” Mal breathed out, the envy clear in her tone. “Do you ever wonder how different your life would’ve been if the Evil Queen would’ve been able to keep you, raise you?”

 

“I don’t think about it as often as I once did.” Evie admitted with a slight frown. “I used to have nightmares about it when I was younger. Jay too. It’s just…she was one of the worst villains of all time, you know?”

 

“Well, duh. My mom _is_ the worst of them all.” Mal scoffed.

 

“Right. I almost forgot.” Evie hummed.

 

“How could you ever forget something like that?”

 

“Because I don’t really think or see Maleficent when I look at you.” Evie explained. “I just see Mal, the girl with the really pretty purple hair and stunning green eyes. I see the Mal who makes me laugh and always knows what to do to make me smile. I see _my_ Mal.”

 

Mal felt her cheeks flame with a blush as she cleared her throat and gave Evie’s hand a gentle squeeze, “Your Mal? Look, you may be a princess but that doesn’t mean I’ll agree to be your peasant.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Evie giggled.

 

Suddenly, Evie jerked them to a stop and Mal crashed slightly into her shoulder, the girl grunting at the impact. Opening her mouth to fire out words of annoyance, Mal stopped short as she took in the sight before her with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. A grass meadow was spread out before her, wild flowers blooming freely in the luscious green grass as butterflies fluttered through the air while birds swooped down through the trees shading tufts of grass; it was something straight out of a dream. A beautiful lake sat off to the side, gleaming invitingly and glittering with the beaming sun. Mal gaped in awe as she took everything in, her green orbs jumping up to see Evie staring at the familiar place with a beam as she nodded slowly.

 

“It’s as beautiful as I remember.” Evie murmured.

 

“ _Beautiful_?” Mal sneered. “That doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

 

“I told you it was a wonderful spot.” Evie giggled as she began to lead Mal through soft glass. “Ben and I would come here to swim, my mother would read, and my father usually napped. It was the highlight of our time with our father.”

 

Mal forced a smile at the breathy tone Evie used as the girl guided her further into the grass. She always grew envious when Evie talked about her childhood, Mal wished so much she could’ve had the same. Her good days with her mother only consisted of the ones when she chose to teach Mal the importance of evil rather than toss her to her minions to play with. As Evie continues to talk quietly, a ball of anxiety rolled through Mal as she threw a look towards the lake, the girl giving a hard swallow as she licked her lips and stepped closer to Evie.

 

“You didn’t bring me here to swim, right?” Mal demanded as she glanced towards Evie with a look of slight wonder, her green eyes shining. “Because as nice as it’d be to see you in a swimsuit, I’m not a great swimmer.”

 

“You never learned how to swim?” Evie asked.

 

Mal snorted as she rolled her eyes, “Pools weren’t exactly a luxury offered on the Isle."

 

“My father taught me how to swim. He used to pick Ben and I up and throw us as far in the lake as he could. Nearly gave my mom a heart attack.” Evie smiled as they walked past the glittering lake.

 

“That’s nice…but you didn’t answer my question.” Mal pointed out.

 

“No, I didn’t bring you here to swim. Just for a picnic and a day away from Auradon.” Evie assured her as she guided her towards a blanket of green grass. “Although, I’d love to teach you how to swim some day.”

 

“I think I’d rather keep myself on the safety of the land. It’s better that way. Plus, I’m not big on people teaching me new things. I’d rather learn on my own.” Mal said as she watched Evie plop down, her legs laid out in front of her.

 

“Whatever you think is best. We should bring Jay and Carlos out here sometime.” Evie hummed as she glanced up at Mal, the girl hesitating before finally lowering herself to sit comfortably.

 

“Oh, Carlos isn’t big on water either,” Mal warned as she watched Evie slide the picnic basket from her arm, setting it aside as she popped the top open. “Something tells me you’ll have to drag him out here by his ear.”

 

Evie rolled her eyes, “I think you two are just afraid of pretty things.”

 

“Now, that’s not true, princess.” Mal frowned as she leaned forward to peek into the picnic basket, Evie pulling a sandwich free and offering it to the smirking girl. “I mean, we’re not afraid of you and Jay.”

 

“Oh, that was smooth.” Evie giggled as she turned her head to watch Mal bite into her food, the girl’s eyes fluttering shut as she gave a low moan. “The most exciting thing about feeding you is seeing your reactions.”

 

“Tis uff is so ood.” Mal grumbled as her eyes rolled back slightly.

 

“Yeah, I have no idea what you just said.” Evie scoffed as she took a dainty bite of her own peanut butter sandwich, Mal continuing to happily munch on her own. “So, tell me something exciting.”

 

Mal paused as she swallowed her food, “Like what?”

 

“Tell me about your life.” Evie shrugged as she licked a line of peanut butter from her thumb. “I feel like all we do is talk about my childhood and our parents. I want to know about you.”

 

“Well,” Mal trailed off as she lowered her sandwich, her gaze turning thoughtful. “One time, when I was about ten, my mother threw me a party. It was a party to celebrate the first person I stole from and we used the money I stole to pay for it.”

 

Evie blinked rapidly in surprise, “Oh.”

 

“Yeah, I know. Not such a good thing.” Mal chuckled as she ducked her head. “But it was a good thing for _me_. It was the first time my mom seemed proud of me, it was the first time she actually acknowledged me as something other than her little spawn.”

 

“Well, then I think it’s a wonderful story.” Evie beamed.

 

“Only you would, princess.” Mal smirked as she took another large bite of her sandwich, the girl scooting forward to look into the picnic basket again. “So, what else did you bring? Anything to cure my sweet tooth?”

 

“I brought your favorite.” Evie grinned.

 

“You brought chocolate?” Mal gasped, her eyes widening in awe before she gave a cry of happiness. “You are the best princess that has ever princessed. You are my favorite person ever.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Evie teased as she playfully flicked a strand of her hair over her shoulder causing Mal to groan mockingly. “Now, finish your sandwich and then I’ll consider giving you chocolate.”

 

The two ate quietly as they shared bits of their sandwiches and Evie playfully pinned Mal down in an effort to feed her mango, the younger girl spitting it out the second it had touched her tongue. For ten minutes, Mal went on about how disgusting it was. She told Evie she had tasted rotten apples better than that, and then she had taken the bowl of mango and thrown it as far as she could. Evie had simply laughed and offered her a chocolate kiss as a peace offering; everything felt right to the pair, it felt simple. Sighing, Evie leaned back against tree as she watched Mal finish her last kiss before setting back against the grass.

 

“You seemed relaxed.” Evie noted as she watched Mal lounge back with her weight resting on her hands, her head tilted back. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so…okay.”

 

“It just feels…open.” Mal mumbled as she dropped her head forward so she could smile softly at Evie. “I don’t have to worry about anyone bothering me or asking me to fix their hair, it’s just you and me. Like it used to be.”

 

“Oh, so you only like it here because you have me to yourself?” Evie teased.

 

“In more or less words.” Mal replied as she sat up, her gaze flickering over the way Evie’s cheeks darkened in a slight blush. “It’s been weird having other people around, you know? It’s like we can’t catch a second together.”

 

“Well, if you wanted to spend time with me all you had to do was ask.” Evie purred as she moved so her knees were bent to the side, her face inching closer to Mal’s. “I would’ve taken you here a long time ago.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Mal took in the familiar smile that graced Evie’s face as she stared at her with brown orbs full of happiness; Mal didn’t think she’d ever get sick of looking at Evie, she was absolutely stunning. And those thoughts made her stomach churn. Who was she anymore? When did she become this person? How did she let someone change her completely? She came here with the intention to ruin the kingdom only to fall for the princess. If her mother was here, Mal would be locked so far back in a closet that not even the dust bunnies would be able to keep her company.

 

Mal hummed for a moment before she reached out to brush a gentle finger along Evie’s cheek, “I would love to sketch this. It’s beautiful. There wasn’t anything like this on the island, just blood and destruction.”

 

The soft sound of Mal’s thoughts faded off and Evie stared at her with a small smile, Evie breathing in the contentment in Mal’s tone. It was nice to see this side of Mal, the gentle one. Evie knew that Mal kept her guard up when she was at school, never letting anyone close enough to hurt her. She understood the decision and she respected it, if Mal wanted friends then she would make them but until then Evie was content to leave it alone. Chuckling, Mal licked her lips as she traced down the bridge of Evie’s nose causing it to scrunch out of instinct.

 

“Well, then I guess we’ll have to come back.” Evie replied. “Did you draw much on the Isle?”

 

“I didn’t do it often. Drawing wasn’t exactly a welcomed skill on the Isle.” Mal whispered as she continued to drag her finger over Evie’s cheek. “It’s something I always loved though. It’s kind of calming.”

 

“You know,” Evie mused as she pulled away from Mal’s finger, her brown eyes brightening. “You’ve never shown me any of your sketches. I think it’s only fair I get to see a few.”

 

Mal arched an eyebrow as she scoffed, “And what makes you think you’ve _earned_ that right?”

 

“Well, I’ve taken you on a date…”

 

“Wait, wait,” Mal chuckled, holding a hand up. “When did this _date_ take place?”

 

Evie tilted her head with an expression of puzzlement, “Well, _this_ is the date. Right?”

 

“The word date was never mentioned when you dragged me out of bed at such an early hour this morning.” Mal scoffed with a small scowl, the girl reaching out to smooth a strand of hair from Evie’s face.

 

“I didn’t think I needed to say anything. I thought it was obvious after everything we’ve talked about…or haven’t talked about.” Evie confessed as she furrowed her brow, her brown eyes boring into green. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to just assume this was a date.”

 

“I never said I didn’t want it to be a date.” Mal shrugged as she moved closer to Evie noting the way the girl’s breathing stuttered for a beat. “I’m glad it’s a date. I’m not quite sure what it means, but it makes me…”

 

Evie giggled as Mal trailed off, “Happy?”

 

“Still not quite used to that word being associated with my life.” Mal admitted with a shake of her head as she dropped her head. “But I can’t deny that I _am_ happy. For some reason, the princess of Auradon makes me very happy.”

 

“I do?”

 

“I don’t let just anyone take me on some crazy adventure, and I most certainty don’t have a problem saying no to anyone other than you.” Mal mumbled, her cheeks burning with color. “And I kinda don’t want to be around anyone other than you.”

 

“What about Carlos and Jay?” Evie teased.

 

“That’s an exception, but they don’t make me feel the way you do.” Mal mumbled, her eyes widening as she realized what had slipped from her mouth so easily. “Ignore that. Ignore me. You’re making me feel things.”

 

“Feelings are good, y’know?” Evie chuckled as she reached out to press a gentle finger under Mal’s chin, guiding her head upward slightly. “You shouldn’t feel like you have to run from your feelings, Mal.”

 

“I’m not used to acknowledging them.” Mal shrugged.

 

“Well, maybe I can help you.” Evie offered. “Maybe I can make you feel something new.”

 

Mal slowly tilted her head in silent question before she swallowed hard at the way Evie shifted towards her, the princess moving so they were only inches apart as the two shared shy smiles. Mal knew where there was going, and she knew Evie was giving her a chance to pull away but she refused to. She wanted this, she wanted Evie. All of her. Evie was cautious as her finger brushed a strand of purple locks from wondering green orbs before her hand cupped the side of Mal’s head. A gentle smile spread slowly over Evie’s face as she leaned forward to nudge her nose against Mal’s.

 

“You’re so beautiful.” Evie whispered.

 

Mal shivered at the feel of Evie’s breath brushing over her lips before she arched her head up subtly, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss. Both felt a rush of heat run through them as Mal pressed herself closer to Evie, nails digging into the material of Evie’s skirt. The kiss was gentle, something born from straight from a foundation of trust; Evie was careful as her hand slid down Mal’s face before cupping the back of the younger girl’s neck, a soft groan slipping from her parted lips as she lost herself in the feel of everything. The sound caused Mal to gasp as she pulled away from the kiss, her eyes wide with wonder. Evie licked anxiously at her lips as she kept her hand curled around Mal’s neck, her brown eyes full of adoration.

 

“Are you okay?” Evie asked in a raspy whisper.

 

Mal frowned as she gave a small nod, “You kissed me.”

 

“I did.” Evie giggled as she dropped her hand and pressed their foreheads together. “I’m sorry, Mal. I should’ve asked you before I did that.”

 

“It’s okay. I wanted you to.” Mal assured her in a voice gentler then Evie had ever heard her use. “I just…I don’t understand what it means. Do you usually kiss all of your friends?”

 

Evie couldn’t stifle her laughter as she distanced herself from Mal, the girl huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest. Giggling, Evie leaned back against the tree as she folded her legs to the side and stared at the girl across from her. Mal never stopped amazing her, and Evie knew she never would. Everything with Mal was an adventure, something new. Reaching out, Evie picked up one of Mal’s hands and lifted it to her lips to brush a gentle kiss over each knuckle. Watching with wonder in her gaze, Mal bit her lower lip at the feel of warm lips touching her skin while brown eyes bore into her gaze.

 

Evie smiled as she tilted her head at the frowning girl, “I told you we were going to talk about whatever it was between us, that was my way of talking. I just felt like it’d be easier to tell you how I felt that way.”

 

Mal furrowed her brow, “And what do you feel for me?”

 

“I love you.” Evie admitted.

 

All at once, the curiosity and happiness that had been floating in Mal’s gaze drifted away and was replaced with fear. The girl quickly yanked her hand away from Evie’s grasp before scrambling to stand, her chest locking with anxiety. Of course she knew that Evie had feelings for her, that was easy to see, but love was something that Mal hadn’t been expecting; love was something that Mal ran from and this situation was no different, love was something that Mal would never be good at. Evie watched her with a look of shock before she stood gracefully, her hands unconsciously smoothing her skirt down. Hurrying towards Mal, Evie reached for her hand only for the younger girl to jerk away from her touch as she squeezed her eye shut for a moment.

 

”Don’t.” Mal hissed.

 

”Mal, please. I don’t understand.” Evie whimpered, tears burning at the edge of her eyes. “You said you wanted to talk, you wanted to know what I feel and I told you. You can’t fault me for how I feel. This is what you wanted!”

 

“You can’t…you can’t _love_ me.” Mal mumbled with a shake of her head as she continued to avoid Evie’s searching hands. “I’m evil, I’m bad. You’re good and you’re pure and I won’t ruin that. I can’t ruin that.”

 

“But you _are_ good, Mal.” Evie protested as she finally latched a gentle hand around Mal’s bicep. “There’s so much more to you then what your mother has told you, you are so much more than Maleficent’s daughter.”

 

“That’s not true.” Mal scoffed as she shook her head. “Everyone has made it point to prove to the world that I’m nothing more than a villain. All I know is bad, Evie. You deserve better than that, you deserve to love a prince. Your love is meant for someone else.”

 

Evie clenched her jaw in irritation, she was so sick of hearing that. She was tired of people trying to hand her off to someone else. She wanted to make decisions for herself, and she finally was. Mal was her decision. Loving her was her choice. And she would never, ever regret it. With a growl of annoyance, Evie turned Mal to face her, her hands pressing gently against Mal’s biceps as she stared down at her; tears trailed down her cheeks as her lips dropped into a frown, her brown eyes lit with pain and confusion. 

 

“I don’t want to love a prince. I love _you_.” Evie whispered. “I want to be with you, Mal. I don’t want Chad or Doug or any of those guys who are convinced that I somehow owe them my hand. _You_ are my choice, Mal. You will always be my choice.”

 

Mal gave a hard swallow, “Why?”

 

”Because for the first time in my life, everything feels right.” Evie murmured, her voice cracking slightly. “My heart belongs to you, Mal. I think it’s been yours since the moment you fell asleep on my shoulder.”

 

“I-I don’t know how to do that.” Mal grumbled with a slight blush. “I don’t know how to love.”

 

“Then let me teach you.” Evie pleaded as her hands ran up Mal’s arms before cupping her face, her gaze boring into Mal’s as she licked anxiously at her dry lips. “Please let me show you what love feels like. _Please_.”

 

Mal shook her head before tilting her head up, Evie breathing out a sigh of relief as she pressed their lips together in a soft kiss; the spark returned between them, not that it had ever dimmed, but it seemed like it was shining brighter. Evie could feel her heart swell with the emotion she had been so desperate to find with someone. She wondered if this was what Jay was talking about when it came to Carlos, she wondered if this is what her parents felt; she wondered if this was her happy ending. Humming happily, Evie tightened her gentle grasp on Mal’s face and deepened the kiss as her tongue brushed teasingly against Mal’s lower lip before the girl parted her own and gave a short moan as their tongues met in the middle. The pair stood in their little spot allowing their two hearts to become one; like broken halves, they became whole once more. Evie could feel her lungs burning as she slowly drew away from the kiss, the princess pressing her forehead to Mal’s.

 

“You make me wanna be good.” Mal chuckled, her voice breathless.

 

Evie beamed brightly, “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

 

“I don’t know what happens next.” Mal admitted as she furrowed her brow.

 

“You just let it happen, okay? _We_ let it happen.” Evie whispered as she knocked her nose against Mal’s. “We’ll figure it out as it comes, okay? Me and you.”

 

“Together?” Mal asked in a soft voice.

 

Evie sighed happily, “Together.”

 

-

“I’m glad the two of you could join us tonight.”

 

Evie glanced up from her salad with a soft grin, Ben sitting across from her and wearing the same expression. Sitting at the head of the table, Adam looked at his family and couldn’t help but release a sigh of happiness at the sight of them all together. Adam and Belle had requested that their children attend a Wednesday dinner with them and Evie had been reluctant to leave Mal’s side after how well their weekend had gone; their date had been perfect and the days that followed had been just as good. Shifting the food on her plate, Evie tried to fight back her smile as she thought about the girl who had claimed every piece of her heart. She couldn’t believe that after so much waiting, she had finally acted on her feelings and they had finally figured everything out.

 

“Ben, how’s the team doing this year?” Adam asked as he glanced to his son, Ben pausing in his chewing as he reached for his water. “Your mother and I have been meaning to make it out for a game…”

 

“It’s been going great. I scored our winning shot and we qualified for the finals.” Ben beamed as he flashed a look towards his father, Adam beaming with pride. “I probably won’t play much in the final, Jay has been awesome this season.”

 

“You’re the captain, shouldn’t he play his captain every game?” Adam mused as he rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands. “As great as Jay is, I know how important Tourney is to you. Have you spoken to the coach?”

 

“I’m actually kind of okay with being benched, it’s fun watching the team from the sidelines and cheering them on. I feel like Evie.” Ben chuckled, the boy shooting a wink at his sister who simply narrowed her eyes.

 

“Don’t tease your sister.” Belle scolded with a soft smile. “Evie, how’s the squad this year?”

 

“Great. It’s uh it’s great.” Evie nodded as she set her fork aside, the girl shifting in her chair as she bit at her lower lip nervously. “I actually don’t think I’m going to continue cheering after the season is over.”

 

“What?” Belle frowned. “Why not?”

 

“I think I’d rather focus on my studies, cheering takes a lot of time out of being able to study and prep for tests.” Evie explained. “I might be able to take it back on in a year, but for right now I think I might drop it.”

 

“What about supporting your brother?” Adam questioned as he nodded his head towards his silent son. “I’m proud of you for putting your studies, but it’s good that the two of you are there to support one another.”

 

“I think I can manage without her.” Ben laughed as he shared a playful look with his anxious sister. “She should do what she thinks is best. Plus, I’m sure there other things and people that require her attention.”

 

“People?” Belle repeated.

 

“It’s nothing. Really.” Evie assured her as she shot Ben a warning look.

 

“Evie, are you seeing someone?” Belle smiled as she set her knife and fork down, her eyes lit with silent questions. “Dear, why didn’t you tell us?”

 

“It’s a relatively new thing. Our first date was this past weekend.” Evie mumbled as she avoided looking at her parents, their gazes burning into her. “I hadn’t intended to say anything quite yet.”

 

“Well, it must be serious enough for you brother to know about.” Adam pointed out as he grinned softly at his youngest child. “So, who’s the lucky boy? It isn’t that Charming boy again, is it? I’m not fond of him.”

 

“No, Chad and I are most definitely over. You don’t have to worry about that.” Evie scoffed with a shake of her head as she sucked in a calming breath, her dark orbs rising to dance between her parents. “And _he_ is actually a _she_ …”

 

“Alright,” Adam nodded. “Who is _she_?”

 

Evie smiled at the simple acceptance from her father, both he and Belle never seemed to mind when it came to their dating preferences. From a young age, Evie expressed her interest in both boys and girls, and her parents had taken it in stride. They always assured her she was loved, and whoever she chose to love would be lucky to have her. Her parents were amazing; they had always been open to their kids being happy and Evie hoped that carried on when the truth finally came out.

 

“It’s um it’s…well, it’s…” Evie trailed off, her voice raspier than usual as she watched both Adam and Belle furrow their brow in confusion. “Well, I’m dating…I’m dating Mal.”

 

Adam paused, “Excuse me?”

 

“Dad, please,” Evie sighed as she clenched her fists around the napkin in her lap. “I’m begging you not to be upset with me. I want to be with her.”

 

“Oh, Evie,” Belle breathed out as she pressed a hand to her forehead, her eyes bouncing nervously to her fuming husband. “Evie, I think we should discuss this another time. I think you and your brother should move to the study and…”

 

“How long has this been happening?” Adam demanded as he stared at his daughter, the teen squirming awkwardly in her chair. “Evelyn, you will look at me when I’m speaking to you.”

 

Evie slowly lifted her head as she licked her lips and locked eyes with her father, “I mean, I’ve liked her since she was released from the clinic, but it wasn’t till this past weekend that we discussed being in an actual relationship.”

 

“This can’t happen.” Adam frowned as he rubbed tiredly at his brow. “I was fine when you and your brother became friends with her, I figured it would be a good idea to keep a close eye on her, but I will not allow my daughter to…”

 

“You can’t just tell me no!” Evie cut in.

 

“You are a princess!” Adam exclaimed, his fist bouncing off the table. “Auradon looks to you for guidance and you come to us to tell us that you’re seeing Maleficent’s daughter? The answer is no. It’s not happening.”

 

“Dad,” Evie whispered, her eye welling with tears. “I love her.”

 

Belle stared at her daughter, “Evie…”

 

“Do you think this is _easy_ for me?” Evie hissed. “Do you think I wanted to fall in love with her? She is everything that you have stripped from me, everything that I never want to be again. But she’s good, she’s…she’s _good_.”

 

“How can she be good, Evie?” Adam demanded as he stood from the table, his hands pressing hard against the wood as it creaked under the weight. “She is the daughter of _Maleficent_ , all she knows is evil.”

 

“And what about me, Dad?” Evie murmured, her voice cracking as she watched her father’s gaze widen in surprise. “Why am _I_ good? What about _my_ bloodline? How can you look past my life and judge hers?”

 

“Evie, you’re different.” Adam sighed, his gaze softening slightly as he caught sight of his daughter’s tears. “You are my daughter. You are your _mother’s_ daughter. You are good. I know your heart, but I don’t know hers.”

 

Evie sniffled as she folded her hands on the table before locking her gaze with Adam’s, “Then let me teach you about her heart, let me show you that she’s not the person you think she is. She isn’t her mother.”

 

“How can you be so sure of that?” Adam said as he slowly sat down.

 

“She isn’t the same person she was when she was taken from the Isle, not even close.” Evie assured him. “She’s different, she’s learning. It’s been a long process, but she’s getting there. Every day is just a little better.”

 

“Dear, are you sure this is what you want? Are you sure you’re not mistaking your feelings for something else?” Belle questioned, her tone full of caution as she looked at her daughter. “You’ve spent an awful lot of time with her, you could be confused.”

 

“I’m not confused. I’ve never been more sure of anything, Mom.” Evie admitted with a slight blush. “I-I’ve had time to think about it, believe me. She has my heart and she’s who I want to be with. She makes me happy.”

 

“I don’t see how a villain…”

 

“Dad,” Ben jumped in, his lips lifting into a lopsided grin. “I’ve seen them together, they really are happy. Mal has completely changed and it’s because of Evie, she makes Mal into a better person. I’ve seen it myself.”

 

“You’re sixteen, I don’t see how you could possibly understand what love is.” Adam snapped as he reached for his wine glass, taking a hearty sip. “But if she’s what you want then I know there’s nothing I can do to stop you. Whatever makes my princess happy.”

 

Evie beamed, “Really?”

 

“Of course, sweetheart.” Belle nodded as she smiled, her eyes ducking to stare at her emptying plate. “It’d be nice to have her over for lunch sometime, maybe get to know her a little better. I’m sure she’s a delight.”

 

“She is. A little sarcastic, but she’s smart and so funny.” Evie gushed, her cheeks brightening with color of excitement as she bounced in her seat. “You guys really would like her, she’s got the best stories to tell.”

 

“I’m sure she does.” Adam hummed.

 

Belle glanced across the table and watched as her husband smiled softly at their daughter; she knew that she and Adam shared the same objections to Evie’s new relationship but neither were cruel enough to destroy their daughter’s happiness. Reaching for her own wine glass, Belle took a small sip as she watched her daughter speak happily about her girlfriend, Ben adding in his own exciting comments as his parents nodded along to their words with pinched expressions on their faces. Swallowing the bitter liquid, Belle caught Adam’s eye and gave a short nod to her husband; they’d settle for Evie being with Mal for now, but both were hoping that something would come along to ruin it.

 

They wanted what was best for their daughter, and Mal was _not_ it.


	7. To Someone I Have Never Been

“So, are you going to solo today?”

 

“What? No. Of course not.” Evie scoffed as she thumbed through her dresses. “I’m planning to take Mal with me. We’ll see if she even remembers agreeing to go.”

 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?“ Audrey hummed as she latched her necklace and turned to glance at her friend. “I know that you’re…seeing her, but she doesn’t really belong at something like this. I’d hate for something to happen.”

 

“Audrey, you act as if she’s been running around doing bad things.” Evie said with a roll of her eyes as she carefully freed a dress from the hanger. “She’ll be fine, alright? Plus, I’m sure Carlos will be there to entertain her.”

 

“It’s a shame that you’re not still dating Chad, the two of you made a lovely couple. Not quite as lovely as Benny Boo and I, but close to it.” Audrey noted with a small sigh. “You know, he’s still waiting for you to ask him to the coronation.”

 

Evie clenched her jaw as she stepped into the closet and changed into her dress, “Why would I ask _him_ when I’m planning to ask Mal to go with me?”

 

“Evie,” Audrey sneered. “You can’t be serious.”

 

“Audrey, I’m not going to argue with you about this,” Evie sighed as she stepped from the closet, smoothing her hands over the blue and green material. “I don’t want to talk about this, she’s going with me no matter what anyone says.”

 

“Honestly, Evie. Where is your head?” Audrey demanded with an annoyed roll of her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest. “You’re a princess and you’re dating _her_ of all people? You could have anyone on this campus!”

 

“I don’t want anyone else, I want her.” Evie replied in a soft whisper. “Audrey, I know you don’t approve but I’m asking that you just keep your mouth shut about it. We’ve been friends for a long time, please respect my relationship.”

 

“I’ll respect your relationship when I’m sure that you’re not in one that’s going to end in your heart being broken.” Audrey huffed as she stared at the girl. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, Evie.”

 

Audrey flashed her childhood friend a soft smile, as if to make up for the fact that she had torn Mal apart, before she grabbed her purse and brushed past the princess. Evie sighed and rubbed tiredly at her brow; she was sick of listening to people’s opinions on her relationship. It had been a few weeks since Evie had spilled the news about her relationship to her parents and things since then had been mostly calm and quiet. She had simply been enjoying the development between her and Mal, a slow progression that grew each day.

 

Not much had changed between them beside the obvious displays of affection; Evie wasn’t shy about pressing kisses to Mal’s cheek and Mal, although a tad hesitant, would regularly seek out the comfort of Evie’s hand in her own as they walked to class. Auradon had taken the news as Evie had expected, not many people were happy besides the ones closest to them. But Evie had ignored it, she had pushed it aside in favor of settling into something she had been waiting for, something she longed for. Humming to herself, Evie sprayed her neck with perfume before scanning over the multiple tiaras that she had set out earlier that morning; wiggling her fingers, Evie hesitated over them before a knock sounded at the door causing her to huff slightly.

 

“It’s open!” Evie called.

 

Glancing into the mirror, Evie felt her breath catch at the sight of Mal wondering into the room with her usual look of cautious boredom. No matter what, Mal always managed to look less than impressed with her surroundings. It never failed to make Evie laugh because she knew Mal enjoyed every second of the campus. There was so much for her to explore, so many spaces to spread her art, and Evie encouraged it. Smiling, Evie turned her head to shoot the girl a grin before turning back to her tiaras.

 

“Hey, princess.” Mal greeted, scanning Evie over. “Going somewhere?”

 

“Mal, we talked about this,” Evie reminded her as she glanced in the mirror, setting her tiara on her head. “Today is family day, we’re supposed to be meeting in the gardens at noon for lunch.”

 

“Lunch?” Mal repeated.

 

“Yeah, it’s not really a big deal. I promise.” Evie shrugged as she turned to face the girl. “My parents will be there and everyone else’s. Remember? I asked you to go with me and you said you wouldn’t mind going.”

 

“Uh, no. I don’t remember that at all.” Mal scoffed as she slowly furrowed her brow. “Why would I just agree to something like _that_ knowing that your parents are going to be there? Are you sure I said yes?”

 

“Your exact words were that you’d be happy doing whatever I wanted.” Evie chirped as she crossed the room, curling her arms around Mal’s small waist. “If you don’t want to go then you don’t have to.”

 

“No, I’ll go.” Mal assured her with a slight look of confusion, her hands smoothing along Evie’s bare arms. “I’m just going to have to find something to wear, something tells me this garden party is going to be fancy.”

 

“It’s not going to be too fancy and I already made you something.” Evie beamed as she pressed a soft kiss to Mal’s forehead before pulling away. “It’s simple, nothing too exciting, and I made sure it’s purple.”

 

“You made my outfit?”

 

“I hope you don’t mind…” Evie frowned.

 

“I don’t. I’m just a little surprised.” Mal admitted as she watched Evie hesitantly pull a skirt and blazer from her closet, her brown eyes full of worry. “Wow. Uh, it’s uh it’s a blazer. And it’s not leather.”

 

“Yeah, my parents aren’t too fond of leather. They’re not happy that I’ve seemed to have developed a love for it.” Evie chuckled with a slight cringe. “If you don’t want to wear this then you’re free to pick something else out.”

 

“E, I’m going to wear this. You spent time making it for me and I’d be an ass to just toss it aside. Plus, I like the color.” Mal smiled as she reached down for the edge of her shirt, pulling it over her head with a quick yank.

 

“Mal!” Evie gasped as she spun around.

 

“What?” Mal scowled as she tossed her shirt aside.

 

“Y-You’re just going t-to change right here? I have a bathroom.” Evie squeaked as she moved towards her closet and busied herself with fixing her already organized clothes. “You’re a little more confident than I expected.”

 

“First of all, you’re my girlfriend,” Mal shrugged as she reached for the white button up shirt, pouting at it for a moment before finally pulling it on. “And second of all, I had to learn to to be confident. The Isle didn’t offer much privacy.”

 

Evie slowly furrowed her brow, “I’m your girlfriend?”

 

“What do you mean?” Mal chuckled as she buttoned the shirt up, the girl staring down at the material with a curled nose. “I thought you already knew that, we’ve been together for almost a month.”

 

“I was going to _ask_ you to be my girlfriend.” Evie admitted as she fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist, her cheeks lit with a blush. “I-I wanted to do it somewhere special, I was going to take you horseback riding on the palace grounds.”

 

Mal smiled softly as the idea simmered in her mind, her hands working to pull the purple skirt up her body as she allowed the images to filter into her mind. She could see Evie beaming at her as they rode quietly through the gardens while talking quietly. Sucking in a breath, Mal struggled with the zipper of the skirt before finally yanking it up and pattering to stand behind Evie. She looked her girlfriend over with a fond smile before shaking her head. Mal hesitated a moment before finally wrapping her arms around her waist from behind and resting her head against her shoulder.

 

“You can still ask me to be your girlfriend. You’re just already mine.” Mal mumbled against the blue material of Evie’s dress, the girl giggling as she turned in Mal’s embrace. “What? It’s not funny, it’s the truth.”

 

“Hm, I like a girl who knows what she wants.” Evie whispered as she ducked her head, brushing her lips gently against Mal’s. “So, just like that you’re my girlfriend? You don’t want me to ask you in a more romantic way?”

 

“Romance is _your_ thing, E.” Mal reminded her with a soft giggle.

 

“That is very true.” Evie nodded as she dropped a lingering kiss to her girlfriend’s lips, Mal sighing softly against her mouth. “We need to get going.”

 

“Let’s just stay here. We can ditch the lunch and spend the day together.” Mal suggested between the quick pecks she was leaving against Evie’s lips. “It’ll be so much better than playing nice with all the kings and queens.”

 

Evie pulled away as she slowly furrowed her brow, “Do you really want to stay here?”

 

“Of course I do.” Mal sighed as she dropped her gaze to the necklace Evie wore, fiddling with the silver chain. “But I know how important this family day is to _you_ and I wouldn’t want you to miss it. I’ll just suffer in silence.”

 

“Hey,” Evie murmured as she pressed a gentle finger to Mal’s chin before guiding her head upward. “I don’t want you to have to fake your way through this lunch, if you want to stay here then we can.”

 

“No. We’re going. I’m not going to make you miss out on something like this because I’m being selfish. I’ll be okay.” Mal assured her with a small grin. “While you’re mingling, I’ll just cause some mischief with Carlos.”

 

“Oh yes, how could I forget? Your partner in crime will be there.” Evie laughed as she playfully rolled her eyes before settling her lips against Mal’s forehead. “Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?”

 

“I make no promises.” Mal teased.

 

-

 

“How do they handle this?”

 

Carlos glanced away from where he was drooling over a chocolate fountain they were setting up, his eyes wide with excitement. Shrugging, the boy followed her line of sight and watched as his boyfriend and Evie spoke to a group of laughing adults. So far, Mal had managed to steal only ten minutes with her girlfriend before Belle had swept her away to converse with a few of her friends while Adam pulled his son to a group of men who eagerly introduced themselves to the upcoming king. Mal couldn’t help but squirm as she tugged at the edge of her skirt, the girl shifting uncomfortably under the warm sun. Squinting her eyes, Mal watched as Evie spoke so confidently with a queen while wearing her usual bright smile as she nodded along to the queen’s words.

 

“I don’t know how they do this all the time. All this mingling.” Mal mused as she forced a smile once Evie’s eyes darted to her. “All I want is to spend longer than five seconds with her. I’m going to die of boredom soon.”

 

“Jay said that we’ll get to sit with them during lunch,” Carlos shrugged as he licked his lips eagerly before leaning down to scoop Dude into his arms. “I’m sure they won’t be busy for much longer.”

 

“Maybe not Jay, but I think Queen Belle is making a point to keep her daughter as far away from me as possible.” Mal grumbled as she folded her arms over her chest. “I’m thinking we maybe shouldn’t have come.”

 

“Yeah, but that would’ve upset Jay and Evie.” Carlos pointed out as he pulled his face away from Dude’s lapping tongue. “It’ll be fine, Mal. They’ll come find us when lunch is ready and everything will be okay.”

 

“You’re right.” Mal sighed.

 

“So,” Carlos smirked, his voice lowering. “How are things with you and Evie?”

 

Mal couldn’t deny that her heart fluttered at the question before her gaze immediately sought out the cause of the reaction. Thongs with Evie had been amazing, and she was shocked at how _happy_ she was. Every day she woke up smiling, she woke up ready to be with the girl who had stolen her heart. But in the back of her head, she could still hear all the voices telling her that it was wrong. Love was wrong. Yet it seemed with each day those voices slowly began to dull to a low hum. Her lips curled into a small grin as she watched Evie laugh while scrunching her nose and tilting her head back.

 

“It’s great. Better than I would’ve expected.” Mal breathed out, the awe clear in her voice as she licked her lips. “She makes me…feel things. Things that we were taught were so wrong. She just makes everything better.”

 

“So does Jay.” Carlos chirped with a lopsided grin. “Lucky us, huh?”

 

“Luck is uh definitely on our side.” Mal nodded as she glanced at Carlos catching the way he seemed to brighten as Jay made his way to them. “So, what’s the status of the two of you? Are you together yet?”

 

“Y-Yeah. I met his parents and then he asked me to be his boyfriend.” Carlos beamed, Jay sliding to his side and draping an arm around his shoulders. “Do I get to eat something yet?”

 

“That’s why I came to get you.” Jay smirked. “Ready for some snacks?”

 

“Yes. Please.” Carlos beamed.

 

“I’ll join you once my girlfriend is actually with me.” Mal sighed as she furrowed her brow at her friend who squirmed with Dude wiggling in his embrace. “Hey, at least save me some chocolate. I love that stuff.”

 

“Nah. I think we’re going to drink the whole fountain.” Jay teased with a wiggle of his brow, the boy beginning to tug his boyfriend back slightly. “I might leave you enough for you to cover like a strawberry, but that’s about it.”

 

Carlos gave a soft laugh before allowing his boyfriend to turn him to where a table was waiting with different finger foods, Mal smiling after them as she shook her head. Much to her surprise, she felt a hand land on her hip before sliding over the material of her skirt and she kicked herself for letting her guard down. Mal breathed out a sigh of relief when she turned her head to see Evie standing behind her. Evie beamed at her, her brown eyes lit with mirth as she moved to stand beside Mal with a hand splayed over her hip as she gave her a small squeeze before sighing heavily.

 

“Hi, babe.” Evie whispered as she pressed a kiss to the side of Mal’s hairline. “Sorry I was gone so long.”

 

“It’s okay. You seemed…busy. And entertained.” Mal offered with a lift of her brow, her hand curling around Evie’s elbow as she smiled up at her. “I hope I’m not keeping you from doing your princess duties.”

 

“No, I think I’m done with my princess duties for now.” Evie assured her with a shake of her head as she turned her head to press her nose against Mal’s hair. “I missed you. Is that weird? You were standing over here and I missed you.”

 

“I think I missed you a little too.” Mal murmured as she turned her head so she could capture Evie’s lips with her own. “So, are they going to feed us anytime soon?”

 

“They are. I think there’s a little more mingling to be done, but after that lunch will be served. You should be excited, they’re having chocolate cake for dessert.” Evie purred, Mal’s eyes lighting up with childlike excitement. “We’ll have to swipe a few pieces.”

 

“What’s this? Is the princess of Auradon actually going to steal something?” Mal gasped as she pulled her face a few inches away from a giggling Evie’s. “I think I might be just a bit of a bad influence on you, princess.”

 

“Not possible.” Evie chuckled.

 

“Evelyn?”

 

Mal could feel the way her girlfriend subtly tensed before a smile worked itself across her face as she glanced over her shoulder. Mal swallowed hard as she watched the king and queen approaching them. She looked at their steady shoulders, how they carried themselves with such grace, and it reminded her so much of Evie. But the sight of them also caused the darks parts in her to hiss, to claw at her so she would remember the days of eating garbage and wrapping her own wounds. Mal bit her lip to keep a sneer from her face as the pair stopped before them and looked to the couple with hesitance.

 

“Dad, Mom,” Evie greeted. “You remember Mal.”

 

“Hi.”

 

“Hello, dear.” Belle smiled. “Are you enjoying the afternoon?”

 

“I am. It’s uh it’s a lot to take in. The Isle didn’t exactly host a lot of parties.” Mal replied, the girl flinching when she noticed the displeasure that appeared on Adam’s face. “It’s a lovely party though. I’m glad Evie asked me to come.”

 

“I’m glad you could attend.” Adam nodded, his smile slightly forced as he turned his attention to his daughter. “I hate to steal you away again, but the Charmings’ were hoping to catch up with you.”

 

“Of course.” Evie sighed. “I’ll be right there.”

 

The couple gave Mal a small nod of goodbye before silently excusing themselves, Mal watching them go with baited breaths. As soon as they were gone, she had to swallow down the spit of a spell she wanted to call out. She closed her eyes and willed them to lose their glow, she refused to ruin this day for Evie. After calming herself, Mal released a heaving sigh as she turned her attention to her girlfriend. Evie watched her with a look of amusement as she chuckled and pressed a lingering kiss to her brow.

 

“Evelyn?” Mal smirked. “You didn’t tell me that was your name.”

 

“Just the adults call me that. Well, Ben did when we were growing up but eventually I asked them to call me Evie again. They only changed it because they wanted some separation from the Isle.” Evie explained.

 

“Ooh, maybe I should change my name,” Mal hummed as she stared up at her girlfriend who rolled her eyes in amusement. “What do you think? Mallory? Margaret? Something else that starts with an M?”

 

“I like your name. Don’t change it.” Evie pleaded as she ducked her head to brush a gentle kiss over Mal’s forehead. “Let me go talk to the Charmings and then I’m yours for the rest of the day.”

 

“Promise?” Mal asked.

 

“Pinky swear.” Evie whispered as she reached down to link their pinkies.

 

Evie pulled away from the girl with slight reluctance, the older girl holding onto Mal’s pinky for as long as she could before she finally broke the connection and moved towards where her parents were waiting. Mal watched her, saw the way Evie forced out a greeting as she paused to speak with a man that resembled Chad and a beautiful woman on his arm. Mal smiled lovingly after the girl as she bit her lower lip before turning to search for Carlos. The girl moved to where she caught sight of her best friend playing with Dude while Jay snacked on a handful of cherries as he looked around with a look of boredom.

 

“I’m starving.” Mal moaned as she reached for the food in Jay’s hand.

 

“The mingling is almost over.” Jay assured her through a mouthful of fruit. “I’m so ready to eat, I feel like I haven’t eaten a solid meal in hours.”

 

Mal nodded in agreement, “Same here.”

 

Audrey walked by as the trio snacked on cherries and Mal rolled her eyes when brown eyes narrowed her way. Try as she might, Mal knew she would never win Audrey over. And personally, she was done trying. There were only so many glares and harsh comments that she could take before she gave up. She wished Audrey would just get it all out, she wished a fight would start, evil knows Mal had been itching for one for months. Shaking her head, Mal broke the eye contact with the princess as she focused her attention on pulling the stem off her last cherry.

 

“What’s her deal with me?” Mal grumbled.

 

“Uh, you’re Maleficent’s daughter. I think _that’s_ the issue.” Jay snorted as he watched Carlos shove a chocolate covered strawberry in his mouth. “She’s been told her mom’s story a quarter of a billion times.”

 

“Yeah, but I’m not my mother.” Mal snapped as she clenched her jaw. “I get that what she did was bad, but I don’t even posses that kind of power. I’m evil, but I’m not _that_ evil.”

 

“Still going with that whole evil thing?” Jay smirked.

 

“I’m trying. I’m not perfect.” Mal muttered as she watched Audrey walk towards Ben, the boy immediately lifting his arm to drop it around her shoulders. “How can someone like _that_ be with someone like Ben?”

 

“She’s actually not that bad. She loves Ben just as much as he loves her.” Jay shrugged, Mal arching an eyebrow in silent question. “She’s just…she can be pretty cold when outsiders try to come into her social circle. She’s protective of her friends.”

 

“It’s not like I’m planning to light you guys on fire or put you in a hundred year sleep.” Mal scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “I don’t have the energy to fight with her, I have other things to focus on.”

 

“Like spelling my best friend?” Jay asked, his tone was nonchalant but Mal could see the way his jaw flexed that he wasn’t impressed. “Evie told me about the cookie.”

 

Mal awkwardly cleared her throat, “I regret it.”

 

“That’s why she was so quick to put it behind her.” Jay replied as he spared his boyfriend a small glance. “Don’t do it again, Mal. She trusts you, don’t ruin that over something stupid.”

Mal was silent as she gave a short nod and allowed the quiet air to wrap around them before Jay offered her a strawberry, her green eyes snapping to meet warm brown. Reaching for the fruit, Mal took it as a peace offering and smiled lightly at the boy. Her and Jay were definitely not the closest in their group of friends, but Mal respected him. He mad Carlos happy and that was all that mattered to her. The trio stood off to the side and watched as the guests continued to walk through the gardens while trading laughs and stories, the teens lingering back as they shared small talk between themselves and waited for the lunch to finally begin.

 

“Hello, dear.”

 

Mal turned her head in time to see an elderly woman approaching her, the woman wearing a kind smile. Shifting nervously, Mal flashed a glance to the tiara perched on the woman’s head before forcing a smile as she sucked in a calming breath.

 

“Hi.” Mal greeted with a small nod.

 

“I don’t believe that I’ve seen you around before. I think I would’ve noticed hair like that.” The woman chuckled as she scanned Mal over before offering her hand to the teen. “I’m Queen Leah.”

 

Mal slowly reached for the woman’s hand only for it to be smacked away by a scowling Audrey, “Nice to see you, Audrey.”

 

Audrey shot Mal a dark glare before settling a protective hand on the woman’s small shoulder, “Grammy, I don’t think you want to be talking to this girl. Unless you feel like taking a hundred year nap.”

 

“Grammy?” Mal repeated.

 

Leah looked confused for a moment as she stared at Mal and the teen couldn’t help but allow her eyes to flash. She wasn’t going to stand her and deny her parentage, part of her would always be proud of who she came from. Her mother was evil and horrible, but she was still her mother and part of her would always love her. As her eyes continued to glow, she winced in regret as the woman released a gasp that drew attention to them, the queen stumbling back as she shook her head in horror.

 

“ _You_! How are you here? And how have you stayed so young?” Leah demanded as she pressed a protective arm against Audrey’s abdomen to guide her back. “How did you get here?”

 

“I-I…I’m uh…” Mal trailed off with a look of horror.

 

“Queen Leah,” Ben cut in as he moved towards the small group that had formed. “It’s okay. Maleficent is still on the Isle. This is her daughter Mal. Don’t you remember talk about bringing more kids from the Isle here? For a second chance.”

 

“A chance to what, Ben? To destroy us?” Leah scoffed as she looked around at the people who stopped to stare at the scene. “Don’t you remember? The poisoned apples? And the spells. Oh, the _spells_.”

 

The people surrounding them had began to draw closer and Mal glanced up in time to see Fairy Godmother moving towards them with a look of worry. Mal wanted to get away, she wanted to flee. She could feel the tension building and she glanced towards Carlos as his eyes went wide with fear. Chatter began around them and Fairy Godmother tried to calm everyone, she spoke quietly to Queen Leah with a comforting hand on Leah’s shoulder while flashing Mal a look of sympathy.

 

“I’m sorry…” Mal whispered.

 

Leah narrowed her eyes at the girl as she shook her head, “My daughter was raised by fairies because of your mother’s curse. So her first words, her first steps, I missed it all. We musnt trust you. How can we?”

 

“Look, I am so sorry that your…”

 

Mal reached out for the woman only for Chad to slide in between them, his gaze bright with annoyance. She knew he was here to stir the pot, this had been building between them since the moment she threatened to spell him. She knew his ego was bruised, especially after he found out the girl he supposedly loved was in a relationship with a villain. Sucking in a breath, Mal could feel the anxiety sliding over her before a soft hand settled on her lower back and grasped at her material of her jacket.

 

“Is there a problem?” Evie demanded in a raspy whisper.

 

“Yes, and that problem happens to be your _girlfriend._ ” Chad snapped as he folded his arms over his chest, Evie arching an eyebrow slowly. “How dare you bring her and her little kicked puppy to this lunch. She has no place here.”

 

“Chad, don’t start.” Ben pleaded.

 

“Ben, are you being serious right now?” Chad demanded as he glared at his best friend. “They were raised by their _parents_ , Ben. What do you think villains teach their kids? Kindness? Fair play? No way. Not at all.”

 

“This isn’t the right place or right time for this.” Evie hissed as her grip flattened against Mal’s back, the younger girl casting a look of slight concern her way. “If you’re still bitter about our break up then…”

 

“Bitter?” Chad scoffed, the forced amusement shining through his tone as he traded a smirk with a few of his friends. “Don’t flatter yourself. I got over you faster than you got under me.”

 

Ben scowled, “Chad, you need to stop talking. _Now_.”

 

“They don’t belong in Auradon.” Chad hissed as he cut his gaze to where Carlos was standing with his back pressed against Jay’s front. “They’re nothing but the product of villains and they’ll never be anything other than evil.”

 

“Back off, Chad.” Jay growled.

 

“Are we really all going to pretend that we feel safe with Maleficent’s daughter walking around? And if that wasn’t bad enough, she brought her little pound puppy along for the ride.” Chad sneered. “They don’t belong here.”

 

Evie could feel the untouched anger growing inside of her, her heart speeding up as she tried to push down the urge to do something damaging. The heat traveled through her, and her heart burned with fury. Deep within her, a spark had been lit. Glancing down at Mal, she felt her heart break when she noticed the sadness on her girlfriend’s face. Lifting her head, Evie glared at the boy who seemed too lost in his rant to notice the people that were surrounding them with looks of wide eyed horror while gossiping among themselves about the interaction.

 

“That’s enough.” Evie snapped.

 

For a moment, the group fell silent. The fire in Evie’s tone had silenced them all, but Chad simply took a small step forward and glared at her. Mal looked at Evie and felt her jaw drop as she saw the blackness in usually soft eyes. The soft version of her girlfriend was gone, and Mal suddenly saw that Evie was more than just a princess. She was a product of the Evil Queen, she had rotten blood and apparently she could tap into it. Evie made a move to push towards him only for Mal’s hand to catch her own, tugging her back beside her.

 

“And you,” Chad said, his voice full of disdain as he glared at the girl. “You and Jay are the worst part of this. You were given a second chance and you threw it away the second two pretty faces caught your attention.”

 

“I don’t know what I ever saw in you or why I stayed with you for so long.” Evie whispered as she moved to stand protectively in front of her silent girlfriend. “How could I not have seen what a huge jerk you are?”

 

“It was _my_ mistake to stay with _you_.” Chad scoffed as he stepped closer to Evie. “You’ll always be evil no many how many crowns are placed on that pretty little head of yours. You can try to run from it, but you’ll always be the Evil Queen’s child.”

 

“That’s enough!”

 

The bellow of the king caused silence to fall upon the chattering groups, Evie glancing over her shoulder to see her father moving towards them. Straightening her shoulders, Evie attempted to stand tall before she felt a hand nudge against her own. Glancing over her shoulder, Evie released a soft sigh of relief as she tangled her fingers with Mal’s, the girl giving her limb a soft, comforting squeeze. Adam passed by his daughter, his gaze flickering from the couple to Chad.

 

“This is a lunch celebrating my son’s upcoming coronation and celebrating family.” Adam said, his tone dark with irritation. “I will _not_ let it be ruined by this meaningless argument. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

 

Evie smirked before she caught sight of where her father was looking, his eyes bouncing between Carlos and Mal. Gaping, Evie tightened her grasp on Mal’s hand as she pulled her closer to her and tried to find comfort in her mother who simply glanced away. They betrayed her, they lied. Evie felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she tried to find some type of understanding in her parents, but all she received were cold glances and scowls.

 

“Dad…” Evie whispered.

 

“They have no family here, Evie. They shouldn’t have come.” Adam frowned.

 

Evie shook her head at her father’s words as she gave Mal’s hand a sharp tug, the younger girl furrowing her brow in confusion as she allowed Evie to tug her along as they rushed from the crowded gardens. The two sprinted away from the party, their heels clicking as they hurried along. Mal allowed herself to be guided through the quad, her eyes wet with tears of humiliation before she glanced over her shoulder to see Jay following close behind with Carlos cradling Dude in his arms. Carlos looked just as distraught as Mal felt. It seemed like they walked forever before they ended up in the familiar part of the forest just off the Tourney field, Evie releasing her girlfriend’s hand as she began to pace with an expression of betrayal. Brown eyes were lit with anger and Evie’s jaw was clenched, her hands curled into fists.

 

“They said they supported me, that they were _happy_ for me. Happy that I found love.” Evie ranted as she continued to pace before she finally stopped, turning to face them. “I’m so sorry. I am so, so sorry.”

 

“Why are you apologizing?” Carlos asked in a soft whisper.

 

“I-I forced you two to go to this thing. I convinced Jay to convince you, Carlos. I should’ve known something like this would happen.” Evie whispered. “I should’ve listened to Mal and stayed in our dorms.”

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Jay assured her as he curled a protective arm around Carlos’ shoulders. “Like you knew Queen Leah was going to freak like that.”

 

“I just don’t get it.” Evie murmured as she shook her head with a small frown. “They accepted _us_. They accepted me as their _princess_. So, why are they so against the two of you finding your happy ever after?”

 

“It was a different time back then, Eves,” Jay sighed. “We were babies then, and Auradon was all for second chances and acceptance. Times have changed. But that doesn’t mean anything because _we_ know them. We know they’re good.”

 

“Are we?”

 

Evie snapped her head towards her girlfriend as the whisper filled the air; a sad frown appeared on her face as she noticed Mal closing in on herself, the worry clear in her green eyes as she stared at the forest floor and furrowed her brow. A soft breath left Evie as she closed the distance between herself and her girlfriend, her lips settling against Mal’s forehead. The younger girl released a sigh of relief as she allowed herself to collapse in the comforting embrace, her arms curling around her waist.

 

“You are.” Evie muttered.

 

“And what, you’re just going to ignore the fact that nobody but you believes that?” Mal mumbled into her girlfriend’s neck. “You’re just going to look past the fact that nobody wants us here? We don’t belong here, Evie.”

 

“Mal,” Evie sighed as she pushed against Mal’s shoulders till she could distance her, her eyes narrowing. “You _do_ belong here. You’ve made such progress. You’re happy. This is where you belong.”

 

“Then why doesn’t anyone believe that Carlos and I are changing?” Mal demanded, the spark in her eye seeping with desperation as she watched Evie gap for a moment. “Why does everyone look down on us?”

 

“They don’t…” Evie began.

 

“They do. Do you know how many times Chad has shoved me into a locker or how many times someone from the Tourney team has made fun of me or picked on Mal?” Carlos scoffed as he stepped away from Jay. “No one likes us. They never will.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me Chad and the boys were giving you a hard time?” Jay snarled, his body tensing with anger. “I would’ve put a stop to it, Carlos. You have to _tell_ me these things, I can’t protect you if I don’t know.”

 

“I took care of myself for a long time, Jay. I can protect myself.” Carlos whispered as he raised Dude to him, pressing his nose against his head. “Believe me, I’m used to it. I didn’t want to bother you.”

 

“Carlos, you left the Isle because it was dangerous,” Jay reminded him. “You were brought here so you could have a better life, both of you were. I’m not going to just stand aside while people mess with my boyfriend.”

 

“Just like I’m not going to let anyone mess with you.” Evie chirped as she reached out to press a gentle finger to Mal’s chin, guiding her attention back to herself. “Remember how you said you were the knight? I think it’s my turn now.”

 

“Evie, I’ll be fine. You have enough on your…”

 

Evie pressed a finger to Mal’s lips as she beamed at her, “Nope. Say hello to your new knight in shining armor. It’s my turn to look out for you, okay? No arguments. I’m going to be the knight and you can be the damsel.”

 

“I am _not_ a damsel.” Mal grumbled as she reached up to guide Evie’s hand away from her lips. “I can take care of myself. And Carlos. You guys have more important things to take care of.”

 

“I don’t know what it’s going to take for you to see that _you_ are something that’s important to me.” Evie sighed as she shook her head. “Mal, I love you. I love you so much that I could…I could shout it from the top of a mountain.”

 

“Please don’t.” Mal begged.

 

“I can sing about it.” Evie suggested with a bright twinkle to her orbs.

 

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.” Mal chuckled as she stepped towards her girlfriend, pressing her forehead to Evie’s shoulder. “I don’t need you to do anything, okay? I’ll be okay and I’ll figure this all out.”

 

“Just as long as you know that I’ll be walking beside you.” Evie whispered as she pressed a soft kiss to the top of Mal’s head, glancing up to catch Carlos’ worried orbs. “You too, Carlos. I’ll be looking out for the both of you.”

 

“And I’ll be looking out for _all_ of you.” Jay assured them as he subtly puffed out his chest, his hand searching for Carlos’ till fingers twined with his. “All this crap stops today. I’ll take care of Chad and the guys.”

 

“And I’ll take care of my parents.” Evie added in with a forced lightness to her voice, Mal humming in acknowledgement. “No worries, babe. Everything will work itself out. I promise.”

 

Mal slowly lifted her head, “That’s a big promise to keep.”

 

“Well, it’s a good thing I don’t break my promises then.” Evie smirked.

 

Mal simply chuckled as she folded back into Evie’s arms, the vulnerability shining through the way she didn’t bother to hide the way her hands curled around Evie’s waist and held her as close as possible. She needed this, she needed her girlfriend. Evie simply melted into the embrace before lifting her dark orbs to find Jay’s, the boy clenching his jaw as he stared over the top of Carlos’ head; silently the two vowed to take care of their significant others, no matter what the cost and no matter who they had to take down to make it happen.

 

“I think I want to go back to my room.” Mal mumbled against Evie’s shoulder.

 

“Me too.” Carlos sighed.

 

“Okay. Um, I just need to tell my parents I’m walking you back and then we can go.” Jay nodded as Carlos pulled away from him, Jay settling a protective hand on his lower back. “We’ll see you guys later, okay?”

 

Both Mal and Evie simply nodded as the couple left, Evie offering her arm to Mal and grinning adoringly as Mal hesitated for only a beat before curling her hand around the crook of her elbow and allowing herself to be guided back towards the gardens. The two were silent as they walked along the forest path, Evie humming softly under her breath as she tried to avoid the sounds of the garden party continuing a few feet away from them but the sound of loud laughter was hard to ignore. Clearing her throat, Evie sped up her walk subtly as they passed by where students and parents were mingling, Mal sparing them a passing glance as she tried to keep up with her girlfriend’s fast walk. Eventually, the couple found their way back to the silent dorms and listened to the sound of their own heels clicking against the hallway as they neared their own rooms, Mal nervously licking her lips. Glancing toward Evie, Mal smiled as she gave her arm a small squeeze.

 

“You didn’t have to walk me back to my dorm…” Mal murmured.

 

“It’s the right thing to do. You’re my girlfriend.” Evie reminded her with an amused smile. “And really, I just wanted to get a jacket. You’re just a pit stop from my own dorm.”

 

“Wow. This suddenly got so much less romantic.” Mal scoffed in a teasing tone as she released her grip on Evie’s arm, standing in front of the girl with a small smile. “Are you going to go back to the family thing?”

 

“I don’t have a choice. My parents are giving a speech in a little bit and I have to stand up there with them and Ben.” Evie replied with a gentle half smile. “I’m sorry. I’ll text you the whole time, alright?”

 

“Don’t apologize.” Mal ordered as licked at her lips, brushing a few strands of purple behind her ear. “ _I_ should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry that you have to deal with all of this…bullshit when it comes to being with me.”

 

“Hey, you don’t need to be apologizing.” Evie replied with a shake of her head. “You have done _nothing_ wrong, Mal. We’ll figure this out, okay? I don’t care what anyone says, you’re the person I want to be with.”

 

Mal sucked in a deep breath, “I’m really glad to hear that.”

 

“Good.” Evie giggled, the sound dying away into a sigh. “I need to go.”

 

“I know you do.” Mal murmured as she stepped towards her girlfriend, Evie tilting her head down to meet Mal’s lips in a gentle kiss. “Text me when you’re on your way back to the dorms, I’ll catch up with you.”

 

“Okay.” Evie nodded as she licked her lips.

 

Mal noticed the sudden nervousness as she tilted her head, “What?”

 

“So, I have a question. It probably isn’t the best time to ask, but…” Evie began with a hesitant expression as she fidgeted with her hands for a moment before finally looking at Mal. “The coronation is a week away. Will you…would you like to go with me?”

 

Mal puffed her cheeks out for a moment, “Something tells me I don’t have a choice.”

 

“You always have a choice.” Evie assured her with a roll of her eyes as she pressed a gentle kiss to Mal’s forehead. “So, if you don’t feel comfortable going with me then you’re welcome to tag along with Jay and Carlos. Or you don’t have to go at all.”

 

“I want to go with you.” Mal whispered as she rested her hands on Evie’s stomach, the girl flashing a bright smile as her own arms twined around her waist. “This lunch didn’t scare me away, E. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“I wish it wasn’t like this. I just…I want you to get along with my parents.” Evie sighed, her expression turning crestfallen. “I really thought they’d be okay with everything, y’know? I thought they’d just let me be happy.”

 

“They’re protecting you.” Mal said with a small lift of her shoulders as she dragged her hands over the soft material of Evie’s dress. “I know it may not seem like it right now, but they just want what’s best for you.”

 

“ _You_ are what’s best for me.” Evie murmured, her lips twitching with a hint of a smile as she caught sight of Mal’s look of surprise. “I don’t know why you’re always so shocked when I say things like that.”

 

“I’m not used to it.” Mal explained as she licked nervously at her lips before locking her eyes with Evie’s. “No one has ever cared enough to say things like that to me before. It’s just a lot to take in sometimes.”

 

“Well, I hope you’ll get used to it some day,” Evie hummed before scanning Mal over. “I’m serious about your options for the coronation. You don’t have to go at all if you don’t want to. I won’t force you like I did today.”

 

Mal stared up at the girl with a look of happiness before shaking her head, “You’re not forcing me into anything. I really do want to go with you. You’re my girlfriend and I’m not going to send you off alone.”

 

“If you’re sure.” Evie nodded with a small grin.

 

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Mal warned as she glanced at Evie with an anxious expression on her face. “I didn’t really have time to pack much before they came for us on the Isle, I don’t think I’ve ever really had anything fancy.”

 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Evie soothed as she pressed a gentle hand to Mal’s shoulder, the girl relaxing under the familiar touch. “If it’s okay with you, I’d love to make something for you. I’m already making Carlos’ and Jay’s outfits, it’d be honor to sew yours as well.”

 

“You just wanna sew mine to make sure it looks as good as yours.” Mal teased as she playfully poked Evie in the shoulder causing her to giggle. “Yes, I’d love for you to make my dress. I have no doubt it’ll be beautiful.”

 

“Not quite as beautiful as you, but I’ll try.” Evie shrugged.

 

Mal stared up at her girlfriend for a long moment before reaching up to cup the back of her neck and pulling her into a bruising kiss, both girls moaning softly at the familiar glide of lips as they moved with each other. Evie gasped against Mal’s mouth as she stumbled forward causing Mal to fall back against the wall with a soft thud. Drawing away from the kiss, Evie arched an eyebrow at the girl as she braced her hands against the wall on either side of her girlfriend.

 

“Is this okay?” Evie whispered.

 

“I mean, I’m not going to complain,” Mal purred as she curled her arms around Evie’s neck before arching her head up to press a lingering kiss to Evie’s lips. “I don’t think anyone will be too impressed if they see us though.”

 

“You act as if I care what they think.” Evie scoffed as she curled her fingers around Mal’s hips, her head tilting in amusement. “After today, I really don’t give a fuck what other people think of me. Of us.”

 

“Evelyn!” Mal gasped as her eyes widened. “Where did you learn that word?”

 

“My girlfriend.” Evie giggled as she ducked her head to drag a gentle kiss over Mal’s cheek before dragging her lips over the corner of her mouth. “I heard her say it one day when I bent over to pick up a book.”

 

“Can you blame me? You were wearing that leather skirt.” Mal whined as she turned her head in an effort to catch Evie’s lips with her own, the older girl pulling away slightly. “You know, for a princess you’re a really big tease.”

 

“Am not.” Evie huffed.

 

“You so are.” Mal grumbled.

 

Evie smirked as she darted forward to capture Mal’s full lips with her own causing the girl to groan softly against her mouth as her arms tightened around her neck, her back arching off the wall in an effort to get closer to her girlfriend. Mal lingered in the usual blissful feeling that wrapped around her as she fell further and further into Evie’s kisses, the softness of the girl’s lips and the gentleness of her touch sending a shiver down her spine; she swore she could get lost in this forever. Just as Mal parted her lips to welcome Evie’s searching tongue, someone clearing their throat caused both girls to pull away from each other. Evie kept her arms around Mal as she noticed Lonnie moving towards them with a raised eyebrow. The girl’s cheeks were bright with embarrassment as she stopped in front of the dorm door, her eyes darting to avoid watching the way Evie and Mal slowly began to untangle themselves from each other as they smoothed their clothes down.

 

“Sorry.” Evie whispered.

 

“It’s okay.” Lonnie assured them. “You uh you could’ve gone into the dorm room. I won’t be here long, I just came to grab my jacket and…”

 

“I have to go find Ben and my parents or else I would stay.” Evie jumped in as she reached up to straighten her already perfect tiara. “I just uh I was just telling Mal goodbye, she wanted to sleep off the afternoon she had.”

 

Lonnie cringed, “About that…”

 

“You don’t have to say anything.” Mal mumbled. “I get it.”

 

“No, I’m truly sorry for everything that happened today. I-I know it might not mean much, but not all of us agree with Chad.” Lonnie whispered, a hesitant apologetic smile appearing on her face. “A lot of us like you, Mal. Both you and Carlos.”

 

Mal hesitated as she gave a hard swallow, “Thank you.”

 

“I’ll see if I can get Chad to leave you alone. He’s too proud to apologize, but the least I can do is make sure he stays away from you.” Lonnie offered before she gave them a small nod. “I’ll leave you two to say goodbye.”

 

The couple gave her soft smiles before watching as she slipped into the dorm leaving the couple to stare at one another. Evie smiled adoringly as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut before she nudged her nose against Mal’s causing the girl to hum happily.

 

“See. You’re awesome.“ Evie teased.

 

“Okay, my _roommate_ thinks I’m awesome. That’s not anything to get excited about.” Mal chuckled with a roll of her eyes. “Anyway, you should get back to your parents. I don’t want to give them another reason to hate me.”

 

“They don’t hate you.” Evie mumbled as she ducked her head to press quick pecks to Mal’s lips, pulling away after a moment as she stared her. “And even if they did, I don’t. I happen to love you. A lot.”

 

“So I’ve heard.” Mal smirked. “Now, go.”

 

“So bossy.” Evie whined as she began to walk backwards, a smirk twisting on her lips. “I like it.”

 

Mal shook her head with a laugh as Evie winked her before turning to strut away, Mal watching her go with a soft smile on her face; she didn’t think she’d ever get over how lucky she was to have Evie in her life. Watching till she had disappeared, Mal’s smile faded slightly as she thought of her girlfriend before biting her lower lip; she didn’t know what it was going to take for Evie’s parents to accept her, but she knew she’d do anything to make Evie happy. She knew how much Evie wanted her family to accept her, she had managed to gain Ben’s approval but she figured the king and queen were going to be a little bit harder; she just wanted them to like her, for Evie’s sake, anything for Evie’s happiness. Nodding to herself, Mal sucked in a breath as she silently vowed to herself to do something to gain her girlfriend’s parents approval. No matter what, she was going to make sure that Belle and Adam liked her.

 

-

 

“I like the bowtie.”

 

“I don’t.”

 

“I promise it’ll look really good.”

 

Jay rolled his eyes as he glanced up from his homework momentarily to watch as his disgruntled boyfriend glared at the red material Evie was holding up to his chest, her brow furrowed in silent thought. They had been trapped in Evie’s dorm room for a majority of their Thursday evening going over their coronation outfits and Carlos hadn’t been happy to see his when he realized it involved slacks and a bowtie.

 

“How much longer do you think we’re going to have to sit through this?” Mal chuckled as she glanced over the top of her history book, Jay shaking his head in amusement. “I don’t know if I can take much more of their arguing.”

 

“I told her to go with shorts for him, but she refused. If she would’ve listened then we wouldn’t be listening to them bitch at each other.” Jay shrugged, his voice carrying towards his best friend who shot him a glare.

 

“I thought slacks would be more appropriate.” Evie said in an angered, raspy whisper as she dropped the bowtie away from Carlos’ neck. “This is a coronation, ladies and gentlemen. We’re supposed to dress our best.”

 

“I already agreed to wear a suit jacket, I think that’s enough.” Carlos mumbled as he trudged to plop down beside Dude, the dog curling into his thigh. “No offense, but I just don’t like the idea of wearing pants.”

 

“Fine. I’ll make you shorts.” Evie huffed.

 

“Jeez, you two are gonna work her into an early grave. That’s my job, not yours.” Mal teased as she rolled off Evie’s bed to move towards said girl. “So, now that Carlos is taken care of, is it my turn?”

 

“I told you that I’d have your dress delivered the morning of the coronation and Lonnie promised to help you get dressed before she left.” Evie replied as she glanced over her shoulder. “You’re not seeing it till it’s done.”

 

“And how do you know I’m going to like it?” Mal demanded.

 

“Because I know you and I know your taste.” Evie smiled, her focus staying on the materials she was easily folding together. “Carlos, I’ll have your outfit ready by tomorrow morning. I’ll drop it off before dinner.”

 

“Thanks, Evie.” Carlos muttered. “Sorry for being mean.”

 

“It’s okay. I should’ve asked you what you wanted instead of just assuming.” Evie shrugged, her gaze darting to where Mal was staring at her with a soft smile on her face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Mal bounced her shoulders in a silent answer before moving to twine her arms around Evie’s waist, her lips settling against her shoulder as she felt her girlfriend easily melt into her comfortable embrace. She sorta loved this, this comfort that she had once been so scared of.

 

“You’ve just been working your ass off trying to get all these outfits ready and I think it’s amazing how you just do it without expecting anything.” Mal whispered. “I don’t know, I guess I just feel like you don’t get enough credit.”

 

“I don’t want any credit.” Evie assured her as she glanced over her shoulder, leaning her head back to rest against Mal’s. “I love to sew and I love helping my friends out so this really isn’t even much. You should see how many things I’ve sewn for Ben.”

 

“Speaking of,” Carlos cut in. “Where’s he been this week?”

 

“He’s just been taking care of some stuff before the coronation.” Evie sighed as she rested her hands on the ones pressed against her stomach. “You won’t be seeing much of me tomorrow either, my parents signed me out for a lunch.”

 

“No lunch with you?” Mal frowned.

 

“I’m sorry, my love. I’ll be here for dinner though.” Evie offered as she peeled the hands away from her body before turning in Mal’s arms. “You know, I’m sure I could convince Fairy Godmother to sign you out as well if you’d like to join us for lunch.”

 

Mal hesitated as she gave a hard swallow, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

 

“It’s only a suggestion.” Evie assured her with a soothing smile as she pressed a kiss to her lips. “You’re more than welcome to come along if you change your mind, I know I’d love the company if you’re comfortable.”

 

Evie pecked her once more on the cheek before distancing herself from her girlfriend, busying herself with preparing the correct material for Carlos’ shorts. Biting her lower lip, Mal shifted as she glanced over her shoulder and searched for answers. Jay looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he tried to pretend that he hadn’t been listening intently to their conversation, his eyes narrowing subtly as he nodded his head towards his best friend. Widening her eyes in response, Jay clenched his jaw before once again nodding his head in a more aggressive manner.

 

“I-I’ll go.” Mal mumbled.

 

“Hm?” Evie frowned as she shot a glance towards Mal.

 

“I said I’ll go.” Mal repeated through clenched teeth, Evie watching her with a look of slight wonder. “I know how important it is to you so I’ll go. Maybe it’ll be good. Maybe I can make them like me.”

 

“Mal,” Evie began, the warning clear in her voice. “You don’t have to do something you don’t want to do, we’ve talked about this. If they don’t like you then that’s their problem. Only come to this lunch if you want to.”

 

Mal tilted her head slowly, “E, I want to go. I promise. This will be good.”

 

Evie tried to fight back a smile that quickly appeared on her face, the girl bouncing forward on her toes to wrap her arms around Mal causing her to grunt at the force of the embrace as she laughed softly against Evie’s shoulder. Seeing Evie like this was worth the pain of the idea of having to sit through a lunch with Belle and Adam. But she knew she would do anything to keep that smile on her favorite princess.

 

“I love you.” Evie whispered as she pressed soft kisses to the side of Mal’s head, the girl continuing to chuckle. “You are the best ever. I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Mal smirked with a roll of her eyes. “Don’t get too excited.”

 

Evie forced a look of calmness on her expression as she nodded, “I promise that this will go perfectly. You won’t feel uncomfortable. I-I’ll make sure my parents know you’re coming and that everything goes perfect.”

 

The girl dropped her fabrics onto her sewing table as she began to back towards the door, her brown eyes wide as she stared at Mal who watched with a look of amusement. Across the room, Jay sprawled himself across the bed with a laugh as he shook his head.

 

“You’ll see. It’s gonna be great.” Evie breathed out, a wide smile appearing on her face. “I’m going to go talk to Fairy Godmother and send a note to my parents. You’re the best, Mal. I love you so much.”

 

Mal couldn’t fight back the bleed of adoration that flooded her cheeks when Evie blew her a kiss before slipping from the door room, the younger girl rubbing at her brow as she gave a laugh of disbelief before turning to face her friends.

 

“Did I really just agree to go to lunch with the king and queen?” Mal demanded.

 

“You did. Don’t worry though, they’re totally cool once you get to know them.” Jay assured her as he flicked his text book shut. “I mean, the King A can be kinda of a jackass when it comes to protecting his kids but Mama B is awesome.”

 

“I feel sick to my stomach.” Mal confessed as she pressed a hand to her abdomen, Carlos staring at her with wide eyes. “What if I mess this up? What if I say something stupid and they realize how bad I am for Evie?”

 

“Just don’t bring up your mom.” Jay shrugged, his brow furrowing in thought. “Or your past on the Isle. Don’t mention any stealing, lying, cheating, or beating you’ve done and I’m sure you’ll be in the clear.”

 

“Oh, so don’t talk about myself?” Mal scoffed.

 

“Basically.” Jay nodded. “Just be cool.”

 

“Just be cool.” Mal repeated as she gave a small nod. “I-I can do that.”

 

-

 

Cool was the furthest thing from Mal’s mind by the time the limo arrived to pick them up. If anythong, she felt like she was overheating. She had been worried since the moment Lonnie woke her up with an excited yell. She just wanted to get this over with, she wanted this day to end so she could move on with her life. Mal could feel warmth settling low in the pit of her stomach as Evie guided her towards the quad and into the limo, Ben and Audrey sitting across from them.

 

“What is _she_ doing here?” Audrey snapped from beside Ben.

 

“She’s here because I invited her.” Evie replied in a soft voice as she reached out to take Mal’s hand in her own. “So, no more comments about it, Audrey. Please.”

 

Audrey spared Mal one last glare before curling herself around Ben’s arm while the boy flashed her a beam of greeting. After that, the limo settled into a silence that bordered between tense and peaceful; all Mal focused on was the hand in her own. As long as Evie’s fingers were intertwined with hers then Mal figured she’d be able to hold herself down to reality. Squeezing Evie’s hand, Mal turned her head to press her nose against Evie’s shoulder before lips settled against the top of her head. The ride seemed too short for Mal’s liking as the limo paused at golden gates, Mal’s jaw dropping as she took in the palace. The grounds stretched on for what seemed like forever and the gardens were fresh with manicured lions placed throughout the grounds. As the limo came to a stop, Ben was the first to crawl from the car before offering his hand to Audrey. Evie followed closely behind the couple before turning to help Mal out, the girl gaping as she looked around with wide green eyes of shock.

 

“This place is…whoa.” Mal breathed out.

 

“Yeah, it was nice growing up here.” Ben chuckled as he offered his arm to Audrey, guiding them towards the front steps. “Always something to do. Evie got lost one time.”

 

“I was six and I wasn’t lost.” Evie huffed as she twisted her fingers with Mal’s, trailing behind Ben and Audrey. “I merely wandered in a direction that I hadn’t previously explored before.”

 

“Like I said,” Ben smirked, glancing over his shoulder. “Lost.”

 

Evie spat her tongue out at her brother before the doors of the palace were opened to them, Mal’s eyes widening. A look of complete awe showed on her face as she glanced around in an attempt to take everything in, the staff bustling freely around. Mal jerked her head to see Belle approaching them, the woman sweeping her son into a hug as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving towards her daughter. Evie beamed as she released Mal’s hand in favor of curling herself around her mother.

 

“I thought I heard the sound of my kids.”

 

“How was the ride over? Trevor is new to the staff.” Adam smiled as he joined them.

 

“He was fine.” Ben assured his father as they exchanged a brief hug. “I do miss Edwin though, he knew a really cool short cut here that gave us a glimpse of an awesome swimming hole.”

 

“It really is a beautiful place.” Evie agreed as she released her mother before stepping towards her father. “We’ll have to go there this summer, it’ll be so much fun.”

 

Adam smiled at the sight of his daughter before sweeping her into an embrace, Evie giggling as she folded easily into his arms. Pressing a kiss to her head, Adam separated himself from her before his grin fell, his eyes turning cold as he regarded Mal. For a moment, they stared each other down. For Mal, she had to remind herself that this was the man who made Evie into the person she was. For Adam, he looked at Mal and silently reminded himself that this was the girl who made his princess smile.

 

“Mal,” Adam greeted with a forced smile. “Lovely to see you again.”

 

“Uh, you too.” Mal mumbled as she shifted nervously.

 

“Doesn’t she look absolutely beautiful?” Evie beamed as she moved towards her girlfriend, curling her hands around one of Mal’s. “She even fixed her hair to hide her split ends. Just for this lunch.”

 

“Evie.” Mal hissed with a blush. “You didn’t have to tell them that.”

 

“Well, I know,” Evie muttered with a slight pout. “I’m just really happy about it, sweetheart. I’ve told you time and time again that they’re just dreadful.”

 

“Evelyn,” Belle giggled as she flashed her daughter a playful stern stare, her gaze softening as she turned her attention to Mal. “You’ll have to excuse her, she doesn’t have much of a filter. Always one for speaking her opinion. She gets it from her father.”

 

“And that’s a bad thing?” Adam teased as he offered his arm to his wife, Belle easily folding her hand around the crook of his elbow. “Come on, kids. We have a lunch set up in the garden. Thought it was a nice day to stay outside.”

 

Evie intertwined her fingers with her girlfriend and led her through the palace grounds, Mal staring at the sights around her with a look of awe as she took in the familiar blue and yellow colors with wide, unblinking eyes. With a dropped jaw, she turned her head every which way. She was used to the darkness of her mother’s castle, a coldness that shifted down your spine anytime you walked through the grounds but here everything was warm with the softness of sunlight showing off the yellows and blues of the castle walls.

 

“You okay?” Evie whispered.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You look a little out of it.” Evie explained as she slowed their walk so they were trailing behind Ben and Audrey. “It’s not too late for us to get out of here, Trevor is probably still waiting at the limo. We can go back to…”

 

“No, no. I’m fine.” Mal assured her with a shake of her head, her green eyes bouncing freely around. “I’m just…taking it all in. This is a nice place. I’m uh I’m not quite used to seeing all of this stuff.”

 

“Oh.” Evie frowned.

 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it awkward.” Mal muttered.

 

“No, you didn’t. I’m just not sure how to respond.” Evie shrugged as she squeezed Mal’s hand. “I hope you know that you’re welcome to come here whenever you want. I’m sure you’ll find use to some of the things we have around here.”

 

“Like a bedroom?” Mal asked.

 

“We have quite a few of those. Is there something wrong with your dorm room?” Evie asked as she glanced at her girlfriend with a furrowed brow. “Is your bed not comfortable? I can talk to Fairy Godmother about having it replaced.”

 

“I uh I don’t really want to use the bedroom to sleep, E.” Mal chuckled as she glanced up at the older girl, brown eyes lit with slight confusion. “I was hoping that you and I could put the bedroom to use.”

 

Evie’s eyes widened in shock, “Mal!”

 

“Girls,” Belle called, both snapping their attention to her. “Come along.”

 

Evie cleared her throat awkwardly as she tugged a smirking Mal along, the two hurrying to catch up with the group that had wondered their way out to the garden grounds. The walkway seemed to go on forever before they finally reached the beautiful set up of flowers and multiple plates of treats and drinks. Guiding Mal towards the table, Evie released her hand and pulled her chair out before the younger girl sat down and glanced up to watch as her girlfriend moved around the table to sit across from her.

 

“I wasn’t sure what you would like so I had the chef prepare a few different options.” Belle smiled as she sat in the chair Adam pulled out for her, the woman glancing to Mal. “Evie mentioned that you’re a fan of chocolate.”

 

“Uh, yeah. It’s delicious.” Mal nodded, her eyes widening subtly. “When I was back at the hospital, she brought me chocolate and it was amazing. I think it’s probably one of my favorite things since I’ve arrived in Auradon.”

 

“I have a thing for chocolate myself. You’ll have to try some of the ones we’ve have sent over from Neverland.” Belle grinned as she spread a napkin onto her lap. “I think those are my favorites. They’re very sweet.”

 

“I bet Carlos would love those. He’ll devour anything that is sweet.” Evie giggled as she looked between her mother and girlfriend, a smile of happiness lighting up her face. “I’ll have to bring some back for him.”

 

“You’ll have to bring him by for lunch some time, both him and Jay.” Belle suggested, Adam releasing a cough of surprise from the head of the table as he looked to her. “It would nice to have their friends over for a lunch.”

 

Adam clenched his jaw as he fidgeted in his seat, “We’ll have to plan something for the summer then. I’m not sure if Ben will be around much, but it’d be…delightful to have everyone stay with us for a week or so.”

 

“Really?” Evie squeaked, her eyes widening. “An entire week?”

 

“We’ll see. I’m not making any promises. You have just as many commitments this summer as your brother.” Adam reminded her with a pointed look as he reached for his tea cup. “Maybe we can figure something out.”

 

Audrey shot Mal a glare before looking to Evie, “Are you volunteering at the clinic again this summer, Eves? I know you’re really good at looking after strays. Hopefully you won’t form any more attachments to anymore.”

 

“I’m actually not volunteering this year.” Evie replied causing both her parents to glance away from Audrey to jump their gazes to her. “I was hoping, if it was okay with you both, that I volunteer at Auradon Prep Camp this year.”

 

Adam sighed heavily, “Why would you want to do that?”

 

“I just thought it’d be nice to do something different.” Evie shrugged as she reached to spoon fruit onto her plate, Mal nervously munching on her sandwich. “I know Fairy Godmother mentioned quite a few younger years will be joining the camp.”

 

“So, you want to volunteer with the younger kids camp?” Adam asked as he flickered a quick glance towards Mal. “Are you sure there aren’t other reasons as to why you’re giving up your position at the clinic?”

 

“It’s something different.” Evie repeated as she popped a piece of mango into her mouth, the table quiet as she chewed slowly. “I just think it would be good to do something outside of my comfort zone.”

 

“I think it’s a great idea.” Ben chirped as he glanced towards his sister with a bright grin on his face. “Jay already signed up to volunteer with the middle years so at least you won’t be alone and you’ll have a friendly face.”

 

“Benny Boo, what about the clinic?” Audrey demanded. “We always volunteer there.”

 

“Well, I’m sure someone else will fill mine and Evie’s spots.” Ben shrugged as he bit down on his sandwich, his girlfriend pouting towards him. “Don’t worry so much, everything will work itself out. I’m sure of it.”

 

The conversation lulled to a silent buzz as everyone busied themselves with snacking and trading small talk, Mal smirking slightly as she slid her foot up the length of Evie’s calf causing her jaw to clench. Evie shot her a glare as her foot crept up too high, flirting with the edge of her dress. Brown eyes snapped to meet hers before narrowing, Mal biting her lower lip as she watched Evie squirm in her chair before her hand came down to knock Mal’s foot aside, her red lips mouthing for her to stop. Mal smirked as she glanced down at her plate and picked weakly at her sandwich while listening to the background chatter of the king and his son; sighing, Mal popped a grape into her mouth and stared across the table at her girlfriend. Her feelings for Evie had grown so much since the day she had met her in the hospital; the day she had been brought to the island was the scariest day of her life, but the moment she had met Evie it was like that fear melted away with such ease.

 

The girl was comforting, safe. She made Mal feel like all the bad in her life could be easily washed away as long as she had the princess by her side, she made Mal feel like her broken heart could heal over time. For so long she had guarded herself and her heart, she had kept herself safe from the pains of the emotional and physical abuse that her mother had dealt her, but suddenly it was like all of that washed away. Her and Carlos had finally found their home.

 

“So,” Belle spoke, her voice catching Mal’s attention. “Only a few days till coronation.”

 

“I know.” Ben beamed as he sat up just a little straighter in his chair and puffed his chest. “I can’t believe that in just a few days I’m going to be king of Auradon.”

 

“And a fine king you’ll be.” Adam nodded as he wiped his mouth before resting his napkin back on his knee. “There will be things that we’ll need to discuss and I’d like for you to meet a few people from neighboring kingdoms…”

 

“Adam,” Belle sighed with an amused smile as she reached to cover her husband’s hand. “I think we can wait for all of that, yes? There’s so many other things we can talk about, like how exciting it is that we’ll be seeing old friends.”

 

“I suppose that’ll be nice.” Adam nodded as he reached for his tea before lifting an eyebrow as he sipped at the beverage. “Ben, have you and Audrey discussed your colors? Have you agreed to match?”

 

“She decided to go with pink.” Ben shrugged as he draped an arm around the back of Audrey’s chair, the brunette smiling adoringly at him. “It’s a beautiful gown. What about you, Eves? You and Mal matching?”

 

“Mal?” Belle asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Yes. Mal is going to be my date.” Evie chirped, Adam coughing around his sip of tea as he looked to her with wide eyes. “I’ve almost finished her gown, it’s almost nearly as beautiful as the one Christopher designed for me.”

 

“I have no doubt that it’ll be as impressive as anything else you’ve made.” Belle said with a small nod as she chanced a glance towards her scowling husband. “Does that mean Mal will be standing with Audrey?”

 

“What?” Audrey scoffed. “The floor level is for royals.”

 

“And significant others of those royals.” Ben added in as he finished chewing a strawberry, his green eyes flashing towards Mal. “I’m happy that you’ll be on the floor, Mal. The more the merrier, in my opinion.”

 

“Benny Boo.” Audrey huffed. “You can’t be serious.”

 

Belle cleared her throat drawing the attention of those at the table, “The tradition has and always will stand to be that way, Audrey. Evie has just as much of a right to have her girlfriend on the floor as Ben does.”

 

“Darling.” Adam began, his tone hesitant.

 

“So, what color is your gown going to be, Mal?” Belle asked as she cut into her husband’s words. “I know that Evie has a beautiful blue gown, have you two agreed to coordinate? You’d look lovely in something light.”

 

Mal licked her lips nervously as she glanced to the woman sitting beside her, “Well, I’m partial to purple so she mentioned going in that route, but I think it’s going to be something a little softer.”

 

“And do you have all the material that you need, sweetheart?” Belle questioned as she glanced to Evie who nodded happily. “Well, I’m excited to see what it looks like. Evie has always had a talent for sewing.”

 

“Yeah, she used to fix all my clothes before mom and dad could notice any tears.” Ben chuckled as he reached for another sandwich. “One time, I had torn a hole so large in my suit jacket that it took her almost three hours to stitch it up.”

 

“And you never did say thank you.” Evie huffed.

 

“I was late for a date, you can’t fault me.” Ben smirked as he leaned forward to peek around his girlfriend, Evie childishly spitting her tongue out at him. “I remember quite a few time where you didn’t say thank you to me.”

 

“Children. That’s enough.” Adam scolded as he glanced between the pair. “Evelyn, you know better than to tease your brother that way. Benjamin, you’re only a week away from being king, act like it.”

 

The two offered soft apologies as they focused their attention on their plate, Evie sliding her fork through the pieces of fruit that rested on her plate while Ben picked at the salad that Audrey had added to his plate. Belle looked between the people of the table before reaching for her tea to clear her throat, her warm gaze sweeping towards Mal who seemed to be bouncing her attention from her plate of barely touched fruit and sandwich and Evie. Evie had turned her own focus to Audrey as the pair quietly discussed their gowns while Adam caught his son in a conversation about his upcoming coronation, the man speaking sternly to his beaming son as he nodded eagerly in agreement.

 

“Mal, would you care to join me for a walk?” Belle asked.

 

Mal hesitated as she gave a hard swallow, “I-I would love to.”

 

Belle offered a small smile to her before lifting her napkin from her lap and standing, Mal following her with quivering hands as she glanced across the table to watch as her girlfriend looked away from Audrey with a frown of worry on her face.

 

“Where are you going?” Evie demanded.

 

“Relax, darling. I asked her to take a walk with me.” Belle soothed as she rested a gentle hand on Mal’s shoulder, Evie nervously biting at her lower lip. “I’m just going to show her around the grounds, we’ll be back soon.”

 

Evie nodded as she flashed a glance towards Mal before Belle began to guide them away, Mal flashing one last pleading look over her shoulder before they vanished further into the beautiful gardens. Mal shifted as she walked alongside Belle, her heart pattering in her chest. Belle hummed lightly under her breath as she folded her hands in front of herself and walked slowly along the pebbled walkway, Mal awkwardly fumbling along beside her as she tried to work out something intelligent to say, something that would impress the woman. She could feel words settling on the tip of her tongue, ready to slip out, but she simply bit down on them in fear they wouldn’t be good enough; she wanted to plead her case, to convince the queen she was good enough for Evie. She wanted to earn her approval.

 

“Do you know the story of how Evie came to be with us?”

 

Mal jumped in surprise at the gentle curl of Belle’s voice before she glanced wearily towards the woman, “I think so?”

 

“I’m sure you’ve heard many stories.” Belle sighed. “We were very hesitant to adopt a child. Both Adam and I had our hands full with Ben, he wasn’t the easiest toddler. He enjoyed making messes and bothering the staff.”

 

“ _Ben_?” Mal scoffed. “Perfect Ben?”

 

“Well, _we_ thought he was perfect, but the staff did not.” Belle giggled with a small roll of her eyes. “They felt he needed a playmate, someone to entertain him outside the staff’s children that were rarely around.”

 

“And that’s when Evie came around?” Mal guessed.

 

“Not quite.” Belle frowned. “She was a surprise. Of course, by the time Ben was two, we had already began the extraction process of the children on the Isle but it wasn’t till a week after his third birthday that the plan was carried out.”

 

“My mom has told me stories about that day. She said it was…wonderful.” Mal whispered, scrunching her nose at the memory. “She told me there was a lot of screaming, confusion, anger…”

 

“I won’t say that I was pleased by how everything happened.” Belle cringed. “We never intended for it to be so horrifying to the people there, and we never intended for anyone to be left behind. We had our mind set on the children that were to be rescued, and we never meant to overlook any of them.”

 

Mal tensed at the words, “It’s not your fault.”

 

“No one knew of you till a year after the extraction took place.” Belle confessed. “You were a secret, alongside Carlos, but after a few people went to do trades they caught sight of you and reported back to Adam.”

 

“Yeah, well, you can’t exactly change what happened so there’s no use in dwelling on it.” Mal snapped, her jaw clenching when she caught sight of Belle’s apologetic frown. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to…”

 

“It’s alright, sweetheart. We don’t have to talk about it anymore.” Belle assured her with a warm smile, Mal swallowing hard at the offered kindness. “I believe we were discussing Evie and how she came to be.”

 

Mal simply nodded as they passed by the pond, her green orbs dancing to stare at the sparkling water and the ducks that swam freely around it; rolling her eyes, Mal couldn’t help but scoff at the beauty of it all and how perfect everything seemed.

 

“Anyway, after the extraction, Adam and I were asked if we’d consider adopting one of the children that were saved.” Belle smiled. “I wanted to right away, but Adam had his doubts. He didn’t like the idea of Ben being around them.”

 

“Understandable.” Mal mumbled.

 

“I changed his mind.” Belle chirped with a smug grin on her face. “I told him how it would be good for Ben. For our family. And so we met with the director of the operation and he introduced us to a few of the children, but none of them felt just…right.”

 

Mal scoffed with a smirk, “But the Evil Queen’s daughter did?”

 

“The first time I saw her,” Belle began in a soft voice. “She had just been cleaned up, her hair was a mess and she crying but she looked at me and I just knew. I loved her from that moment on.”

 

“So, that’s it? You just looked at her and knew?” Mal snorted.

 

“It sounds silly.” Belle nodded with a small laugh. “Adam thought so too. And then he met her. You can’t help but love her the second you look at her, Evie has a way about her. She has a beautiful heart.”

 

“My mother used to say that the Evil Queen wasn’t happy with Evie, she said that Evie didn’t fit into our world.” Mal recalled, her brow furrowing subtly. “I guess maybe it was just…meant to be. She was meant to be here.”

 

“I like to believe that to be true.” Belle sighed as she looked to Mal. “That’s why I trust her belief in you and Carlos. She knows what she wants and she knows who and what to trust in. I believe her, Mal. I believe that you’re good.”

 

“Well, she seems to think I am so I’m trying.” Mal shrugged.

 

“She’s a smart girl.” Belle hummed. “My Evie.”

 

“Yeah. She uh she really is.” Mal nodded as she fidgeted with the sleeves of her jacket while avoiding making eye contact with Belle. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain to you how much your daughter has changed my life.”

 

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, dear,” Belle assured her with a barely there smile as she continued to walk through the garden grounds. “I can see it. You’re…different. You seem to be lighter.”

 

Mal blushed, “I’ve heard love can do that to a person.”

 

“So you _do_ love her?” Belle questioned with a raised eyebrow, confused green orbs snapping to stare at her as Mal’s brow slowly furrowed. “Evie mentioned to me that you’ve never said that you love her. She assures me that you just need time.”

 

“I-I didn’t think it was necessary. I just figured she knew.” Mal admitted with a small bounce of her shoulders. “To be honest, I’ve never…I’ve never told anyone I love them. And Evie is the first one to ever say it to me.”

 

Belle paused suddenly and Mal jerked to a stop beside her, the queen turning her wide eyes to look at the girl. Mal gave a hard swallow as she watched brown eyes roll over her form, the woman turning her lips in a frown as she shook her head. Mal couldn’t resist the flinch she gave when Belle suddenly lifted her hand towards the girl’s face, the woman reaching out with slow movements before a gentle hand curled around Mal’s chin and tilted it up till green eyes were met with saddened brown.

 

“I am _so_ sorry that you were dealt this life. No child should ever feel unloved, Mal.” Belle whispered, her voice cracking slightly. “Evie speaks so highly of you, she tells us how wonderful you are. I didn’t quite believe it till now.”

 

Clenching her jaw, Mal turned her head away from the affection of Belle’s gentle touch before beginning to walk along the path, the queen lingering a few paces back before moving to follow behind the teen. Mal tried to ignore an unfamiliar burn in her eyes, all she could hear was her mother’s sharp voice telling her that tears were a show of weakness and all she could see was the familiar darkness of the closet she was locked in whenever she cried. Curling her arms over her chest, Mal tried to form her own protective bubble as she cleared her throat and looked to Belle; how lucky Evie was to have grown up with this woman, to know the kind of love Mal never did. She could picture a miniature version of her girlfriend crying and Belle rushing to her aid, kissing away her tears and holding her in an embrace that swept away the pain and fear from Evie’s heart. And then she thought of what life could’ve been for Evie, what the Evil Queen would’ve done to her; cringing, Mal wiped away her lingering petty jealousy and instead focused her attention on the woman beside her, the woman who made the girl she loved who she was today.

 

“I’m not perfect.” Mal said, her voice strong and catching the queen’s attention. “I’m going to mess up and I-I’m probably going to make your daughter cry, but I’ll always take care of her and keep her safe.”

 

Belle smiled in response, “I know, dear.”

 

“Do you approve of my relationship with Evie?” Mal demanded. “I’ll be honest with you, your approval doesn’t matter to me but it does to your daughter and I want her to be happy. I don’t like when she’s upset.”

 

“I don’t think anyone likes when Evie is upset.” Belle admitted with a small laugh as she folded her hands in front of her. “Tell me, will my approval to your relationship change anything at all?”

 

“For me? No.” Mal confessed. “For her? It’ll change everything.”

 

Belle hummed as her lips turned up for a short moment, “Then you should know that I do approve of it. Was I against it at the beginning? Of course. Then again, I think you can see where I was coming from.”

 

“You should tell her that then.” Mal suggested as she glanced to where the path had led them, the table they had left a while ago only a few feet away. “Thank you. For telling me about Evie. And for…for your approval.”

 

“You make my daughter happy, Mal,” Belle noted. “You make her smile in ways that I’ve never seen before that and I would never try to keep her from that happiness. I wish the two of you the best of luck with your relationship.”

 

Mal simply gave a short nod as they walked to the table, Evie glancing up and standing out of instinct when she caught sight of her girlfriend. Moving around the table, Mal set a gentle hand on Evie’s lower back before pressing a kiss to her cheek. Smiling, Mal could feel the tension bleed from Evie’s shoulders as her body unraveled before both lowered themselves into their seats, Mal choosing to stay beside her girlfriend as she took her hand in her own.

 

“I like your mom.” Mal muttered into her ear.

 

“Did you enjoy the grounds?” Adam asked as he glanced to Mal.

 

“Yeah. It’s beautiful. I’d love to sketch it sometime.” Mal replied, Evie squeezing her hand with a wide smile on her face. “We didn’t have much to sketch on the island, just thiefs and dead grass.”

 

Adam stared at the girl with a frown, “Sketching? I heard you prefer graffiti.”

 

“Dad.” Evie snapped as she shot him a warning glare, the man simply arching an eyebrow. “She draws quite a bit. She’s let me see a few of her sketches and they’re beautiful.”

 

“You know, I haven’t done any painting in quite a while,” Belle mused as she looked to the couple. “Mal, you should join us for an evening of tea and then we can paint together.”

 

“Really?” Evie gasped.

 

“Of course, dear. She’s your girlfriend, she’s allowed here anytime that you please. Just like Audrey.” Belle replied, the woman shooting a wink towards her gaping daughter.

 

“Well,” Adam breathed out, the irritation clear in his tone as he shot his wife a small look. “I guess we’ll have to set something up soon then. Maybe a weekend after the coronation.”

 

Adam seemed to have to spit the invitation out as he focused his attention back to his food, Mal staring at him for a long moment. She wished there was a way to reach out to him, to get him to see her side of things, but she knew his judgement on her wouldn’t change with just one lunch. Turning her head towards Evie’s, Mal nudged her nose against her girlfriend’s jaw till brown eyes turned to her. Smiling, Mal pressed a gentle kiss to Evie’s lips before drawing away to stare at the girl she loved, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

 

“Do you think it’ll ever change?” Mal asked, Evie flashing her a look of confusion. “The way your dad feels about me…do you think he’ll ever see me as something other than Maleficent’s daughter.”

 

Evie released a small breath, “I would like to hope so.”

 

“And does it change how you feel about me?” Mal muttered, Evie furrowing her brown in confusion. “He’s your father, his opinion must mean something to you. So, does it effect you at all?”

 

“Would I like for him to like you? Of course.” Evie shrugged. “But it doesn’t change a single thing about the way I feel for you. My heart belongs to me and it knows what’s best. I trust _that_ opinion, not those of others.”

 

“You’re such a sap.” Mal chuckled as she shook her head.

 

“Yeah,” Evie chirped. “But you love me anyway.”

 

Mal smiled adoringly as she turned her head away from her girlfriend, but if Evie could’ve caught her expression then she would’ve seen Mal’s reply in her green orbs:  _“I do. I really do.”_


	8. Who I'm Meant To Be

“Wow.”

 

Mal could feel her cheeks bleed with slight embarrassment as she opened her dorm door, Evie standing in front of her with a wide eyed expression. Brown eyes ran over Mal’s form, her lips turning into a gentle smile as she shook her head in amazement. Both girls stood there in stunned silence as they looked each other over; Evie felt her palms grow slick with sweat as she took in the purple beaded dress, Mal’s locks twisted into a perfectly messy bun and her full lips pulled into a devilish smile. Standing before her girlfriend, Evie felt as if she was under dressed in her blue gown, her dark locks curled to perfection and her favorite tiara tucked into the blue waves; sucking in a breath, Evie beamed as she tried to return her mind back to reality.

 

“You look amazing, Mal.” Evie whispered.

 

“Of course I do, _you_ made my dress.” Mal pointed out with a teasing grin on her face as she reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Evie’s ear. “And I have to say, you look just as stunning as you always do.”

 

“What? Not even a smidgen more than usual?” Evie pouted.

 

“Oh, most definitely more than a smidgen. I think I’m gonna be the luckiest person tonight, my arm candy is hot.” Mal smirked as she reached out to pull Evie into her dorm room. “Are you okay?”

 

“Why do you ask?” Evie frowned as she continued to stare at the younger girl with awe clear in her gaze. “Should I not be okay?

 

“I know how nervous you’ve been about this. I know you want everything to go alright for your brother.” Mal reminded her as she settled her hands flat against Evie’s stomach. “You’re just as anxious as he is.”

 

“It’s a big day for him. For all of us. He’s going to be ruling Auradon.” Evie sighed, her eyes widening as the words seemed to dawn on her. “My brother is going to be _ruling_ this kingdom. The same brother who ate grass till we were eight.”

 

“He ate grass?” Mal laughed.

 

“Yeah, it was quite a problem for him.” Evie nodded, the amusement shining through her gaze as she smiled wistfully. “I can’t believe he’s going to be a king. Everything is going to change after today.”

 

“Well, you’re always telling me that change is good,” Mal pointed out, her eyes bright with happiness. “Maybe this will be the best thing to happen to Auradon. Maybe he’ll be the best king this kingdom has ever seen.”

 

Evie giggled as she stared at Mal, “When did you get so optimistic?”

 

“Probably around the time I started dating a princess.” Mal replied as she scrunched her nose, Evie shaking her head as she ducked her head. “We should probably get going. Don’t want to miss the big day.”

 

Mal grinned up at Evie and watched as the girl hesitated for a beat before giving a slow nod. She could tell there was something hanging between them, but Mal refused to make them late for this event. Evie had been putting her heart and soul into getting ready for coronation day, and Mal was determined to make sure it was perfect. With a soft smile, Mal looked Evie over once more before pulling away from Evie’s touch as she turned to move towards the door. Evie lingered a few paces back as she bit her lower lip for a moment, her stomach twisting painfully.

 

“Wait, before we go,” Evie whispered as she grabbed a hold of her girlfriend’s hand, Mal pausing. “Ben told me that he’s planning to give Audrey his ring.”

 

Mal furrowed her brow, “Okay?”

 

“He said that he loves her, that she makes him feel strong,” Evie added in, a blush slowly bleeding in her cheeks. “You make me feel strong, Mal. And I love you.”

 

“Evie, can we talk about this in the limo?” Mal chuckled as she reached out to guide Evie’s chin up. “As cute as I think your rambling is, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.”

 

“Look, I’ve been debating about this for a while,” Evie cut in as she anxiously licked her lips, her eyes lit with adoration. “I’ve gone over it a thousand times in the last few days and I just know it’s the right time…”

 

“Evie,” Mal sighed. “The right time for what?”

 

“T-To ask you to wear my ring.” Evie muttered, her breath catching when she caught sight of Mal’s wide eyes. “I-I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but it means a lot when you ask someone to wear it. It means that I don’t see myself with anyone but you.”

 

“We’re kinda young for a marriage proposal, princess.” Mal snorted.

 

“It’s not a proposal. More like a promise to stay faithful to you.” Evie explained as she shrugged her shoulders. “My mom gave Ben the ring our dad gave her and my grandfather gave me the ring he gave my grandmother when he proposed.”

 

“I don’t know about this, princess,” Mal murmured as she gave a hard swallow and shifted nervously in front of the girl. “Evie, are you sure you want _me_ to wear it? Are you sure I’m the person you really want to give it to?”

 

“I’ve never been more sure about anything other than you and I.” Evie admitted with a soft grin as she slowly opened her palm to reveal the silver ring, Mal staring at it with a look of awe. “I just want _you_ to be sure.”

 

“I’ve never had to be sure of much, never needed to be.” Mal whispered as she lifted her gaze to catch Evie’s. “But I’m one hundred percent sure about you. About _us_. I always will be.”

 

Evie flashed a blinding smile that caused Mal to sigh happily before she gently took her hand in her own, her thumb dragging against each one of Mal’s knuckles as she stared at her with a nervous expression before giving a hard swallow. Mal sucked in a breath of surprise as Evie carefully guided the ring onto her finger, the princess staring down at the shining jewelry before she slowly lifted Mal’s hand to press against her lips. Mal felt a since of forever fall over her, like this was the last piece she had been waiting for. And just like that, Mal opened her heart and allowed Evie to burrow inside.

 

“I love you, Mal.” Evie whispered.

 

Mal hesitated for a beat before a small smile pulled at her lips, “I love you, too.”

 

The surprise that appeared on Evie’s face caused Mal’s heart to break; she had put off saying those words, always hiding them behind smothering kisses and embraces that lingered longer than necessary. She had choked on them a few times, and almost slipped them out one Saturday morning when Evie was covered in paint and giggling. There had been a million different times to say it, but she just bit her tongue. But now? Now, she very well knew there was a possibility she would never stop saying it.

 

“That’s the first time you’ve said that to me.” Evie hummed as she stepped towards her girlfriend, pressing their foreheads together. “I really like the way it sounds.”

 

“Well, it won’t be the last time I say it.” Mal assured her as she tilted her head up slightly so she could press a lingering kiss to Evie’s lips. “Now, we have to go. Your parents will be upset if you’re not there.”

 

“Why the rush? It’s not like anything too important is happening.” Evie teased.

 

“Oh yeah, it’s not like your brother is being crowned king or anything.” Mal smirked as she pulled away from her girlfriend, Evie catching her as she intertwined their fingers. “Anything else you need to say, princess?”

 

“Nope.” Evie chirped. “I’m good.”

 

Mal smiled lovingly at the girl she was lucky enough to call her own before giving her hand a gentle tug as they left the dorms and hurried to where the limo was waiting for them, the driver giving Evie a teasing wink as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The couple clambered into the back of the limo and Evie didn’t hesitate to reach out and take Mal’s hand back in her own, her thumb brushing lightly over the silver band on her girlfriend’s finger as they stared out the window. The beauty of Auradon seemed to whirl past as Mal glanced desperately out the window in hopes to at least catch sight of some of the wonderful land that she hadn’t quite yet been able to explore.

 

“I’ll have to take you out sometime.” Evie mused as she watched Mal’s eager gaze stare out the window. “We can go horseback riding and I’ll show you around the palace. I think you’ll find that my mother’s art room is quite useful.”

 

“Your mother has an art _room_?” Mal gaped.

 

“She does. She doesn’t spend much time in there though, if she’s not with my father then she’s usually in her study. She does love burying herself in a good book at any chance.” Evie smiled, ducking her head slightly. “I think I got that from her.”

 

“That is true, you do really like to bury your nose in a book when you can.” Mal teased as she leaned over to press a gentle kiss to Evie’s temple, the girl resting her forehead against the side of Evie’s head. “I know I asked already, but…are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“I am. I really am.” Evie assured her as she pulled her head away and lifted Mal’s hand to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the row of her knuckles. “My family is happy and safe, my grades are exceptional, and I have you. Life is perfect.”

 

“Shh, don’t say perfect. It’s a bad luck word.” Mal scolded as she pressed a gentle finger to girlfriend’s ruby red lips. “Carlos and I don’t use that word, nothing good comes from using the word perfect.”

 

“Alright, alright,“ Evie chuckled as she pulled Mal’s finger from her lips before rolling her eyes in mock annoyance. “So, maybe it’s not _perfect_. But it’s pretty great and that’s all that matters. So, yes I’m okay.”

 

Mal stared at the girl with pure adoration in her gaze before Evie’s breath caught, her eyes flickering over Mal’s head causing her to whirl in her seat to stare out the window where the festiveness of the coronation was taking place around them. The people of Auradon crowded the building, everyone dressed to the nines as they spoke among themselves. Swallowing hard, Mal tried to calm her growing nerves as she watched everyone spilling into the church in order to catch a seat for the big moment. Mal furrowed her brow as she turned to see Evie fussing over her hair, the girl’s lips pouted as she messed with her crown. Shaking her head in amusement, Mal reached up to carefully pull Evie’s hands from her blue locks as she smoothed them back to perfection.

 

“Do I look okay?”

 

“Princess, you look beautiful.” Mal whispered.

 

“I don’t know why I bothered asking you. You have to say I look beautiful.” Evie huffed as she glanced anxiously to the waiting staircase, photographers lined up along the path. “Oh Gods, what if I trip?”

 

“Evie, do you know how many times I’ve watched you strut your way around campus and not even flinch whenever you brush over a pebble or run into something? You’re going to be perfectly alright.” Mal soothed.

 

“I would feel better if you were going to be there with me.” Evie admitted with a small shrug as rubbed her lips together before flinching as the limo came to a stop. “You sure you don’t want to stand up there with me?”

 

“Something tells me your parents wouldn’t be too fond of that idea.” Mal teased as she watched the driver climb from the car. “Everything will be fine. The ceremony will happen and then I’ll come find you, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Evie nodded. “Okay. I can do that.”

 

“Of course you can, princess.” Mal chuckled.

 

The door of the limo opened and Evie flashed one last look to her girlfriend before the driver offered his hand, Evie taking it with a thankful smile before she scooted out of the car and turned to help Mal free. Immediately, Mal blinked owlishly as she was blinded by the flash of cameras, Evie chuckling at her dazed expression. Curling a protective arm around Mal’s waist, the girl guided her towards their entrance where other couples were entering. The sound of mixed chatter greeted them as they walked into the building, Evie’s hand finding Mal’s after a moment as they lingered where Belle and Adam were waiting patiently alongside Fairy Godmother.

 

“So, see you after?” Evie grinned as she held tight to Mal’s hand.

 

“After? I get to stare at you through this whole thing.” Mal reminded her as she squeezed Evie’s hand. “But yes, I’ll see you after.”

 

Evie reluctantly released her grasp on Mal’s hand as she was guided towards the front where her parents were waiting. After seeing that she was okay, Mal moved to where Carlos and Jay were stood up front with Dude cradled between them, both boys beaming at her. With a whistle, Mal liked Carlos over and smirked at his appearance. He was cleaned up, not a smudge of dirt or a hint of a bruise. And he looked healthy, his skin glowing with happiness and his eyes bright with wonder and excitement.

 

“Wow, Mal,” Carlos beamed. “You look great.”

 

“Thanks. I owe it all to Evie.” Mal replied as she paused beside them, her gaze dancing to where her girlfriend was chattering to her mother. “So, how long do these things usually last? An hour? All day? Ten minutes?”

 

“It’s not long.” Jay assured her with a small shrug as he curled a gentle arm around Carlos’ waist. “They swear him in, then crown him, Fairy Godmother will bless him, and then we party.”

 

“Party?” Mal smirked. “Evie didn’t mention that.”

 

“Oh yeah, the coronation parties are legendary. Never been to one, but I heard they’ll go on well into the next day.” Jay chuckled before the sound of trumpets sounded. “And the fun begins, ladies and gentlemen.”

 

The crowd turned to the doors as soft singing filled the air, the doors swinging open to reveal a nervous Ben and Mal heard the sound of Audrey’s soft gasp from behind her. Mal watched Ben make the walk down the aisle, his green eyes shining as he stared ahead at his waiting family. Watching him walk past, Mal couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as she glanced up to see Evie staring at him with the same expression. Staring at the girl, Mal sighed as she took a moment to realize how her life had turned out; she never thought that the day she was taken from the Isle was the beginning to the life she was living now. She never thought she’d find a safe place to land in this strange land. To her the idea of finding love in Auradon, of finding anything, never crossed her mind. She had never expected it, but then again she had learned that this place was full of unexpected surprises and she couldn’t have been happier about it.

 

Evie was everything that she had never realized she had wanted for herself, she was everything that Mal could see herself building a future around. She could actually picture the future, and Evie was definitely the main component of it. Her thumb ran over the cool silver on her finger, her eyes dancing down to stare at the beautiful ring. Her heart swelled in her chest, the all too familiar warmth running through her veins as she glanced up to see Evie staring straight at her, the girl lifting a hand before playfully wiggling her fingers her way before making a face. Rolling her eyes, Mal hesitated a beat before finally returning the wave causing Evie to giggle, the girl stopping as soon as her mother glanced at her with a stern stare as they turned to watch the fairy bless Ben.

 

Fairy Godmother watched as Ben kneeled before her with a nervous smile on his handsome face, “Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?”

 

“I do solemnly swear.” Ben nodded.

 

The crown being placed on his head caused a smile to spread across Mal’s face and she didn’t have to look at her girlfriend to know her expression was being mirrored. Ben, sweet and honest Ben, was now the king. With a faltering smile, green eyes watched as the Fairy Godmother curled a hand around her wand. Mal couldn’t deny that there wasn’t something tickling at her, a side of her she had been so sure had been buried, as she watched Fairy Godmother bring the wand down on each of Ben’s shoulders with a small smile on her face. She managed to push it down, to quell the thought that she was meant to be doing something, and instead focused on her friend.

 

“Then it is my honor and my job to bless the new king.”

 

The grin on Mal’s face was disturbed for a moment as she felt someone shoulder past her, Mal watching with a look of puzzlement as dark locks fluttered past before a small hand reached out to snatch the wand from Fairy Godmother’s grasp with ease. Standing in the center of the aisle stood Jane, the wand held tight in her hand. Mal couldn’t smother her gasp of shock as scooped up the material of her gown and followed the movements of the crowd as they stepped back to avoid the spouting magic. Jane looked wild, her blue eyes wide with sadness and Mal frowned as she remembered her conversations with this terrified girl.

 

“Child,” Fairy Godmother demanded, a look of horror on her face. “What are you doing?”

 

“If you won’t make me beautiful then I’ll just do it myself! Bibbidi bobbidi boo!”

 

The spark shot through the building and the crowd could only gasp as Jane struggled with the wand, her body fluttering left and right. Standing with a look of slight awe, Mal stared at the wand and felt the familiar burn press at her fingertips. She knew what that wand could do, what kind of power it possessed. As it continued to spray bright lights across the room and people ducked for shelter, Mal could feel her body humming with something she had thought she had learned to tame. The desire of evil ran through her veins and Mal could feel her body twitching with silent need as she spared a glance to where Evie was peeking from behind her father’s shoulder, her eyes wide with shock as Adam pushed her to stay behind him. As Jane continued to turn, Mal sucked in a breath before stepping forward to curl an arm around the girl’s waist as she jerked her to a stop. Jane struggled in her grasp, the two swaying with the force of the lightning that shot from the wand.

 

Jane held tight, but Mal was stronger. She tapped into that lingering bit of Isle blood, and elbowed Jane in the ribs. Finally, Mal managed to pry it from Jane’s grasp and the girl stared with wide, terrified blue orbs at the scene she had caused before she lifted the skirt of her dress and turned to vanish within the depths of the crowd that parted in an effort to escape her. As Mal stood there, the wand grasped in her hand, she couldn’t help but spare a glance to the crowd that backed away from her out of instinct; tightening her grasp, Mal glanced up to see Evie shoving around her father as she watched Mal with wide eyes.

 

“Mal?” Evie whispered.

 

Mal licked nervously at her lips as she caught sight of her girlfriend staring at her with wonder in her gaze. Mal wanted to hold onto the wand, the magic inside of her begged to be released. There were so many things she could do, so many things she could change. But nothing mattered more to her than the look of fear in brown eyes, she knew she had to give it up. For Evie. Flashing a brief smile as she approached the Fairy Godmother and offered her the wand with a look of slight hesitance in her gaze.

 

“I think this is yours.” Mal murmured.

 

As the fairy reached for her wand, a green swirl of smoke rushed through the window causing Mal to freeze as her eyes widened with terror. She knew what was happening before the crowd could even catch their bearings, she knew her end had come. Her gaze darted desperately towards the window and she knew that one of the blasts had freed her worst nightmare. Mal could feel a familiar tar settling low in the pit of her stomach, trapping her where she stood as she watched the cloud continue to twist towards her. Time seemed to bleed away as the cloud settled, Maleficent appearing with a smirk on her face.

 

“Well,” Maleficent sighed. “Another missed invitation?”

 

“Mother.” Mal hissed.

 

“Mal, my girl,” Maleficent purred, her attention flashing to daughter. “Who would’ve thought that _you_ would be planning something so brilliant? This was _your_ idea, am I right?”

 

“Leave, Mother.” Mal ordered as she held the wand towards the fairy.

 

“Ah, ah.” Maleficent cooed as she tapped her scepter against the ground, Mal gasping as the wand was pulled from her hand and landed to rest comfortably in her mother’s. “I do believe this belongs to me now.”

 

“What are you doing here?” Adam demanded.

 

“I saw my daughter,” Maleficent purred. “Oh, how happy she looked on the arm of a princess. A very familiar looking princess.”

 

Mal whimpered.

 

“You see, we were simply enjoying the coronation back on the Isle when something wonderful happened,” Maleficent grinned as she scanned her daughter over. “All of a sudden, the barrier simply disappeared and I realized that there were things that needed to be done.”

 

“You didn’t answer his question,” Mal whispered as she stepped closer to her mother, Maleficent staring at her with that distant expression that she was so used to. “What are you doing here? What do you want?”

 

“Well, I came to take you back to where you belong. You and that useless boy.” Maleficent replied as she tilted her head, tapping the wand against her horn. “But I’m thinking something more important came up.”

 

“Mother, Carlos and I aren’t going to take a single step with you.” Mal grumbled, her gaze gaze dancing to were Jay pushed his boyfriend behind him. “We have a home here. We’re happy. You can’t take that away from us.”

 

“What has this place done to you?” Maleficent sighed.

 

Mal glanced around as she caught sight of the eyes locked on the mother and daughter duo; she wished this was one of her nightmares, she wished she could pinch herself awake and know that she’d be back in the safety her dorm room covered in sweat soaked sheets. But every time she pressed her nails into her palms she could feel the pain and she knew there was no escaping this, she knew that it was time that she faced the pain she had been dealt. She knew it was time to show the anger and hatred she had for the woman standing before her. She felt as if entire time in Auradon had been leading up to this moment, as if this had been the written out plan all along. She felt like it was written in the stars, that her mother had been right when she had told her time and time again that villains didn’t get happy endings.

 

“Tell me, Mal,” Maleficent whispered as she moved towards her terrified daughter. “Was this the plan all along? Gain the trust of Auradon and wait for the perfect moment to free me? If so, you’re more brilliant then I ever gave you credit for.”

 

“You were _never_ part of my plan, Mother. Just as much as I wasn’t a part of yours.” Mal hissed as she backed away from the approaching woman. “You don’t belong here, you have no power here.”

 

“Oh, but don’t I?” Maleficent smirked as she wiggled the wand to show the evidence of said power. “You see, everything I need is right here in this bibbity boo nonsense. All the revenge I need is held in my hand.”

 

“Mother…”

 

“Enough of these games, Mal.” Maleficent hissed as she stared at her daughter, her eyes glowing slightly. “You are going to come home with me and rule alongside me, you’re going to forget about all the lies of goodness and love that have been fed to you.”

 

“They are _not_ lies!” Evie exclaimed as she shoved around her father, Mal flashing her a look of desperation. “Mal and Carlos are good and they’ve found a place where they belong. Where they’re loved and wanted.”

 

“Oh, I see it now. _This_ is what happened to you.” Maleficent hummed, her gaze dancing over Evie as she cackled. “You’re a foolish, ridiculous girl. Your mother would be disappointed to see what you’ve become.”

 

“She is not _her_ child. She is _mine_.” Belle snapped as she stepped forward.

 

“Oh please, you’ll never be her mother,” Maleficent cackled, her green eyes glowing as she stared at the queen. “Evil runs through those veins and one day she’s going to wake up and realize she can’t resist it anymore. We’ll see how much you love her after that.”

 

“You aren’t taking those children anywhere.” Belle warned as Adam pulled her back, the man clenching his jaw as he glared at Maleficent. “You are to leave and never return to this kingdom, Maleficent.”

 

“Once again, holding all the power in my hand here,” Maleficent purred as she turned her sharp gaze to her daughter, her eyes hardening. “You’ve caused quite the mess, haven’t you? You little worthless brat.”

 

“Leave her alone.” Evie snapped as she edged herself around her mother, scooping up the material of her dress as she moved down the stairs towards her girlfriend. “You know nothing about her. Leave her be.”

 

“Tsk, tsk.” Maleficent frowned as she flicked her scepter towards Evie, the girl giving a cry of surprise as she was lifted into the air. “I don’t appreciate the back talk, young lady. What would your mother say?”

 

“Let her go!” Adam bellowed, his arms wrapped protectively around Belle as the woman stared up at her daughter with horror in her gaze. “Let our daughter go!”

 

“Mother, please!” Mal exclaimed, her tone full of desperation. “Stop!”

 

“Stop?” Maleficent repeated as she glanced up to see Evie struggling against the magical grasp she was trapped in. “I guess I could let her go. Is that what you want?”

 

“No! Mother, please!”

 

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” Maleficent muttered with a smirk.

 

Mal felt her chest lock as Evie began to fall in a speed that she knew would shatter her. All she could was stand helpless as everything faded to background noise; she could hear the distance cries from Belle, the curses from Adam, the pleads from Ben, and the rest of their friends begging. She could hear them, but all she could focus on was Evie. A cry of horror came from Mal’s lips before Evie paused inches from the ground, Maleficent rolling her eyes as she stared at her daughter with disgust in her gaze.

 

“You’ve let this little princess weaken you, Mal.” Maleficent scolded as she gave a brief wave of her scepter, Evie dropping with a dull thud. “Where’s my nasty little girl gone? Has just a few months in this horrid place turned you soft?”

 

Mal chose to ignore her mother’s words as she rushed to her girlfriend, her hand settling gently against Evie’s lower back until dark eyes lifted to meet hers. Mal released a soft breath of relief as she watched Evie’s lips turn up into a small smile. Curling a careful arm around Evie, Mal helped her sit up as she scanned the girl over to make sure no harm had came her way; licking her lips, Mal paused as she noticed the smallest hint of a cut on the corner of Evie’s eyebrow causing her jaw to clench.

 

“It’s going to be okay.” Mal whispered.

 

“What are you going to do?” Evie demanded.

 

Mal glanced over her shoulder and felt her heart find the pit of her stomach as she watched her mother sauntering through the room, her loud cackle filling the air as she teasingly called for Carlos while Jay weaved them through the crowd in search of a hiding spot. The fear rolled freely through Mal as she looked around and realized that her mother had once again managed to ruin yet another good in her life, yet again her mother had come into her life and ripped it apart; she was done with it all, it was time for her to put an end to it.

 

“I’m going to fix this.” Mal assured her as she pressed a lingering kiss to Evie’s lips before pulling away, guiding her girlfriend to her feet. “No matter what happens, stay with your parents.”

 

“Mal, what are you planning?” Evie hissed as she latched on her girlfriend’s wrist.

 

“I have to end this, princess.” Mal replied as she brushed a hand over Evie’s face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I always told you that I was a knight so it’s time to save a few damsels.”

 

Evie furrowed her brow at her girlfriend’s words before she found herself being pushed backwards, the girl falling into her brother’s protective embrace. Mal wanted to stay with Evie, wanted to hide her like Jay was with Carlos but that wasn’t an option. She met Ben’s gaze as he curled his arms around Evie and he nodded, he knew exactly what Mal was saying. In her eyes she told him to keep her safe, to hold onto, and to make sure she stayed out of this. With one last look into beautiful brown eyes, Mal moved towards her mother with determination in her glare.

 

“This ends, Mom,” Mal hissed. “This ends today.”

 

“Oh, dear, we don’t have time for this.” Maleficent snickered as she waved her daughter away, her eyes rushing around the room in search of something. “So, tell me where that dreadful little puppy of yours is.”

 

“I’m right here.”

 

Mal tensed as she quickly turned her attention to where Carlos was shoving Jay away from him, his boyfriend reaching out to him with a look of terror on his face. Jay tried to hold him back, the fear was clear in his eyes but Carlos was ready. He was ready to fight the same battle beside Mal. After a few tugs, Carlos managed to free himself from Jay’s protective grasp as he hurried to stand beside Mal. Carlos stared at her with worry in his gaze, his face paler than usual as he stood beside her and prepared himself to fight alongside her.

 

“Look at you.” Maleficent snickered, her head tilting slightly. “Who would’ve thought that the kicked puppy would become such a dog? Do you really think that you’re something now? Something other than your mother’s favorite chew toy?”

 

Carlos sucked in a breath, “We’re not scared of you anymore.”

 

“You _bleed_ fear.” Maleficent hissed as she moved towards the pair, her lips twisting into a sinister smirk. “I think it’s about time we say our goodbyes, children. We have things to take care of.”

 

“No.” Mal growled as she grabbed at Carlos’ arm, tugging him backward. “We’re not going anywhere with you. Our home is here and we’re not going to let you take that away from us. You’ve taken enough.”

 

“Mal.” Maleficent purred, the warning clear in her voice.

 

“You have no place here, Mother. You have no power.” Mal whispered in a harsh tone. “No matter how tightly you hold to that wand, you’ll never hold any power at all. You will be overthrown eventually.”

 

“Enough!” Maleficent exclaimed.

 

The power behind her shrill voice caused a hush to fall over the room, Mal clenching her jaw as the memories of her past flooded her. That voice caused everything to return to her; all the anger, sadness, fear, loneliness, desperation, and terror. Clenching her jaw, Mal tried to remain steady as she felt Carlos edge closer to her, his worried gaze finding her own. Giving a comforting nod, Mal felt him press just a tad closer to her as they regarded the woman who had tortured them for so long. Every beating they had taken, every meal they had been denied, every night they had spent sleeping outside, every desperate thing they had done to stay alive, and every harsh remembrance of their reality stood in front of them in the form of the fairy’s cackle.

 

“I’ve had enough of these childish games.” Maleficent warned. “You are going to return to the Isle and be useful for once in your rotten lives. You worthless brats are finally going to make something of yourselves.”

 

“Mother…” Mal whispered, her eyes widened in fear.

 

“I have to leave my legacy to someone, might as well be my spawn. So, it’s time for you to return to your home. But first…let’s get rid of _this_.” Maleficent smirked as she pointed the wand towards Mal, her ring sliding from her finger. “You don’t need it anymore.”

 

“Give it back, Mother.” Mal ordered as she took a threatening step towards her mother, her green eyes blazing with anger. “That ring holds no power.”

 

“It’s _her_ ring, Mal. It holds all the power in the world to you.” Maleficent smirked as she curled through the throngs of people. “What have I always told you, _darling_? Time and time again, love is weakness. It isn’t what you want for yourself.”

 

“You don’t know what I want!” Mal exclaimed as her gaze tracked the way her mother seemed to circle the people in the large banquet room. “Mom, have you ever once asked me what _I_ want? I’m not you.”

 

“Enough of the water works.” Maleficent snapped. “Tears are just as weak as love. I think it’s going to take a few nights in the basement to strip this goodness from you. We’ll see how good you are when you’re deprived of food for a week.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Mal barked.

 

“You’re really testing my patients.” Maleficent hissed, her tone full of a lightness that Mal knew was forced as the woman pushed away from a man. “I know one thing, young lady. You have no room for love in your life.”

 

“No. You will not control my life any longer, Mom. I won’t let you.” Mal whispered, her voice full of building emotions as she slowly took a sharp step towards her mother. “And now I command, wand to my hand.”

 

The sound of her voice carried through the room as she extended her hand, the wand glowing gold for a moment before Mal gasped as it was ripped from her mother’s grasp and settled easily in her own hand. Awe was clear on her face, the surprise evident in her eyes as Maleficent now stared at her bare palm. The commotion in the room caused Mal to swell with self-pride, her eyes wide in awe as she stared down at the wand now clasped in her grasp. Lifting her head, Mal could feel her heart seize when she noticed her mother’s anger, her green eyes glowing bright.

 

“I’ve had enough.” Maleficent growled, her feet carrying her towards her daughter as her face showed the beginnings of worry. “Frankly, this is tedious and very childish. Give me the wand. Give me the wand!”

 

“Don’t do it, Mal.” Carlos ordered as he pressed a hand to his friend’s bicep, a smile of amazement slowly crossing his face. “Maybe good really is more powerful then evil.”

 

“That’s enough!” Maleficent yelled.

 

The woman made a move towards the pair and Jay didn’t hesitate to step before them, his dark eyes full of anger as he reached for Maleficent’s scepter only for the woman to jerk forward with glowing green orbs as she took a moment to place his face. Running her gaze over the teenage boy, a smirk slid across her face as she tilted her head before leaning her weight against her scepter. Jay felt frozen, he had never looked into eyes so cold. As he held tight to her scepter, she reached out to grasp onto Jay’s muscles that flexed as he gripped at her staff with a scowl on his face.

 

“Oh my,” Maleficent cooed, the laughter leaking slowly into her voice. “You’ve grown to be quite the handsome young man, Jay. I think your father would be quite proud…maybe even a little jealous.”

 

“Leave them alone.” Jay ordered through clenched teeth.

 

“It’s cute that you care.” Maleficent cackled as she shoved a hand against his chest, the boy rolling back against the hard floor. “Anyone else want to play hero for these two worthless kids?”

 

The room chattered loudly as everyone seemed to realize that the threat of the want was no longer an issue. She was nothing without that wand, just a washed up bitter woman. With pride in her eyes, Mal noticed the way her classmates began to circle both her and Carlos. Even Chad and Audrey stood close, and both wore looks of silent protection. Around them, people slowly began to approach the villain who backed away with a look of irritation clear on her face as she darted her gaze around the crowding kingdom.

 

“Enough!” Maleficent exclaimed. “You all will regret this!”

 

The purple cloud that wrapped around Maleficent caused the room to scramble aside while Mal watched as a large purple dragon appeared where her mother once stood. And then everything fell apart. Her mother coasted through the room, the green fire spitting from her mouth as she swept it through the crowd. A look of horror appeared on Mal’s face as she quickly backed away from the dragon, screams and cries of terror filling the air as the people of Auradon began to hurry to find cover in the large church building while others were burnt and left to fend for themselves.

 

“Mal!” Evie cried.

 

Mal ran her gaze over the room before finally locking on Evie, the girl being pushed towards the church doors by Adam as he pressed his family behind him. Staring at the terrified girl, Mal could feel the swell of anger rushing through her. For so long she had been afraid of the beast that flew through the room, fire spitting from her mouth just like the words she once threw at Mal as she beat her into the ground with her orders and her hands. The years seemed to blur together in her mind as she squeezed her eyes shut, the frustration and pain curling in her veins and lighting her with a fire she had been so sure that her mother had dimmed long ago. A familiar yell sounded and her eyes fluttered open in time to catch Jay pushing Carlos behind him in order to avoid the ball of fire that rolled towards them, Mal rushing towards them with worry on her face.

 

“Evie, no!”

 

Everything seemed to blur together as Mal glanced in time to see Evie shoving herself from her brother’s protective grasp, her brown eyes locked on Mal as she pushed her way through the crowd that rushed towards the exit in an effort to escape. Mal focused her attention on blue hair as she juggled her way through the crowd, elbows catching her in the sides as she winced and reached out to catch Evie’s hand as she pulled the girl to her.

 

“What are you doing?” Mal demanded.

 

“I’m not letting you do this by yourself.” Evie whispered as she pressed her forehead to Mal’s for a moment before both turned as they heard the roar of Maleficent. “I know this may be a stupid question, but what’s the plan?”

 

“I have to do something I should’ve done a long time ago.” Mal murmured as she reached for Evie’s hand, the feeling of her girlfriend’s fingers intertwining with her own causing her to settle slightly. “I have to stand up to my demon.”

 

As if one cue, enraged green eyes finally caught sight of Mal and the dragon bounced off the floor and dove towards her daughter with careless ease; wings flapped, knocking people aside with the force of the wind and sweeping others up only to drop them a moment later. Clenching her jaw, Mal pushed Evie protectively behind her before sucking in a breath as Carlos and Jay joined them; the four pressed themselves together as Maleficent drew closer, her mouth opening to release a loud growl as fire spit in the air.

 

“This is between you and me, Mother!” Mal exclaimed as the dragon neared them, Evie tightening her grasp on her girlfriend’s hand. “Leave them out of it.”

 

Mal waited for the inevitable collision of her mother knocking them down, but instead Maleficent slowed her flight as she landed before her daughter and narrowed sparkling green orbs to lock with her own; she had played this game before, _many_ times before. Every childhood memory slammed into Mal at once as remembered cowering beneath this familiar look, remembered the cackles of victory her mother released when her daughter bowed into submission before she was tossed to Maleficent’s lackeys like a play toy. Now, standing with her friends and girlfriend, Mal could only narrow her eyes as she realized what she was protecting; she was protecting the life she had, the life Carlos had, and the happiness they had found. They went to bed full and wound free, they woke up with smiles and laughter, they had friends that included them in things outside of robbing places, and they had people who looked at them like they hung the starts in the sky; they had love and she wasn’t going to give that up. Everything Mal had been told she would never had was everything she had now; clenching her jaw, Mal continued to stare at her mother and couldn’t help but notice the waver that quivered in her mother’s glassy gaze as the dragon’s nostrils flared.

 

“The strength of evil is good as none, which stand before four hearts as one.” Mal whispered, her voice caressing the air. “The strength of evil is good as none, which stands before four hearts as one!”

 

It happened faster than Mal had expected, one second she was staring into her past and the next it had vanished in a familiar puff of green; gasping, Mal stumbled back and felt gentle hands reach out to steady her as Evie pressed her forehead to the back of her neck. Standing together, Mal could hear the soft panting coming from Jay as he watched her with awe on his face as Carlos clung to him with wide eyes, Evie simply tightening the hands pressed to her waist as they heard the sound of rushing heels.

 

“What just happened?” Mal breathed out.

 

“I-I don’t know.” Carlos whispered, awe clear in his tone. “Did you…?”

 

“I don’t know.” Mal admitted with a shake of her head, her frantic gaze bouncing up in time to see Fairy Godmother rushing towards them with a sympathetic expression. “I-I don’t know what happened. Did I…?”

 

“Oh, no. No. _No_.” Fairy Godmother replied with a slight frown as she moved to squat down, Mal following her as she lowered herself and gaping at the sight of a small lizard. “Your mother shrank herself down to the size of heart.”

 

“Hm. No wonder she’s so itty bitty.” Jay mumbled before grunting loudly as Carlos shot an elbow into his ribs, the boy flashing Mal an apologetic grin. “I’m just saying. Sorry.”

 

“He’s right.” Mal whispered. “Is she going to stay like that forever?”

 

“Forever is a long time, dear,” Fairy Godmother frowned as she stared down at the lizard, Mal matching the intensity of the fairy’s gaze as they both glared down at her mother. “You learned to love, so can she.”

 

Mal sucked in a breath before holding out her wand, “I believe this belongs to you.”

 

Evie smiled softly as she watched her girlfriend return the fairy’s wand with a look of exhaustion, the princess leaning down to pick up the silver band that had been abandoned somewhere in the fight between mother and daughter. Settling a hand on Mal’s lower back, Evie waited patiently for green eyes to turn to her before Evie leaned to press their lips together; settling there for a moment, Evie drew away as she flashed a lopsided grin and grabbed a hold of Mal’s hand.

 

“And this,” Evie whispered as she slid the ring onto Mal’s finger. “Belongs to you.”

 

The soft chatter sounded from behind them as the group turned to see the people of Auradon lingering at the doorway, King Adam leading the pack as he wrapped a comforting arm around his wife’s waist while Ben swept his gaze through the destroyed room. Mal couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy when she caught sight of the relief that appeared on Belle’s face when she caught sight of Evie, the queen pressing a hand to her mouth before Evie scooped up the bottom of her dress and rushed to her parents. The king and queen squeezed their daughter between them before Ben joined in, the family settling into each other once more before Evie whispered something to her father and watched as he gave a short nod before fixing his rumpled jacket. Tensing, Mal noticed the man squeezing his daughter’s hand once more before he released her and made a move towards Mal; straightening herself, the girl tried to smooth her wrinkled gown and swept a strand of purple behind her ear.

 

“Mal,” Adam whispered once he neared her, his voice calm as he stared at her. “I don’t know how to thank you for the bravery that you displayed today. You have earned yourself a rightful, safe spot in Auradon.”

 

Mal gave a small nod, “And my relationship with Evie?”

 

“I think after today, her mother and I will have no qualms with you dating her.” Adam chuckled as he offered his hand to her, Mal taking it with a hesitant expression. “Thank you, Mal. You saved my family and this kingdom.”

 

“It’s really nothing.” Mal assured him with a shake of her head, Adam giving her hand a small squeeze before releasing his grip. “After all, she was my mother. It was only a matter of time before this happened.”

 

“I’m glad it won’t be happening again.” Adam admitted with a soft laugh.

 

“You and me both, sir.” Mal scoffed.

 

“What do you say we finish this day out right?” Adam offered with a raise of his eyebrow, Mal smiling softly as she gave a small nod of approval. “Let’s finish this coronation and put this day behind us.”

 

Mal could only nod once more as the man turned to address his kingdom, the girl holding her breath till she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, Mal could only suck in a breath of relief as she was met with Carlos’ soft gaze as he flashed a bright smile.

 

“You did it.” Carlos grinned.

 

“No. _We_ did it.” Mal corrected. “Thank you.”

 

“It was my battle to fight too.” Carlos pointed out, his eyes dancing to where everyone was gathering to finish swearing Ben in. “You know it’s not over through, right? The rest of them, they’re going to come for us.”

 

“Not just us. For _them_.” Mal whispered as she tilted her head to Jay and Evie.

 

“I know.” Carlos nodded as he clenched his jaw before looking to where his boyfriend was smiling alongside his parents and Evie. “We have to protect them. We have to protect each other. Okay?”

 

“Always.”

 

Carlos gave a small smile as he lifted his fist, Mal hesitating for only a beat before she tapped hers against his. The two moved towards their significant others, finding comfort in the offered affections as they mentally prepared themselves for their futures. Standing in the partially destroyed church, Mal couldn’t help but marvel at how resilient Auradon seemed to be; as Ben was sworn in, Mal swore it seemed as if a dragon hadn’t just swept its way through the church and destroyed what was supposed to be a perfect day. The coronation continued on as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn’t all almost been killed by the worst villain to grace their lands. Shaking her head, Mal made a mental note to ask her girlfriend what was up with Auradon’s optimism and blindness to reality. By the time Ben had been sworn in, the night had fallen upon them and fireworks lit the sky as people poured onto the garden grounds for the party. As Mal went to follow, Evie curled an arm around her waist and held her steady as the room emptied.

 

“I needed to make sure you were okay.” Evie explained once they were alone, Mal staring up at her with a curious gaze. “Today was…insane. I-I don’t even know how to begin to explain what I feel about everything.”

 

“It was a lot to take in.” Mal nodded, her gaze turning thoughtful. “I can’t blame Jane for what she did, I think I planted the seed. I’m the one who told her to ask her mom to make her beautiful and I’m sure…”

 

Evie pressed a hand to her girlfriend’s mouth, “Stop.”

 

Mal rolled her eyes as she peeled Evie’s hand away, the younger girl staring up into calm brown orbs; she wondered how long they were going to be able to stay like this, stay in a bubble that felt all too safe. She wondered how long they had before all hell broke loose again.

 

“You can’t blame yourself for what Jane did. She made the decision to grab the wand, I’m just glad no one was hurt.” Evie sighed, her brow furrowing after a moment. “Besides your mom, though my parents assured me she would be looked after.”

 

“I hope they lock her in the deepest, darkest dungeon there is.” Mal admitted with a twitch of her jaw. “She may be my mother, but she deserves every punishment given to her. She could’ve killed someone today. She could’ve killed _you_.”

 

“Yeah,” Evie hummed. “But she didn’t.”

 

Mal couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Evie seemed to brush everything off, just like the rest of the kingdom did. Her chuckle turned to laughter as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against Evie’s shoulder, lingering there for a long moment. As her laughter died away, all she could think about was that it was over. After sixteen years, the bad in her life was now locked away in a dungeon in the form a lizard; she was free of the one person who had kept her from that freedom for so long. Sucking in a breath, Mal allowed her worries to wash away for a moment as she pulled her head away from Evie’s shoulder before glancing up to watch the way ruby red lips curled into a familiar grin before a thumb swept over her bottom lip as Evie stared at her.

 

“And what happens to Jane?” Mal asked once she had calmed down.

 

“Well, I think her mom will probably punish her,” Evie frowned as she swept a loose strand of purple hair behind Mal’s ear. “But it won’t be too bad I’m sure. I’m just excited for everyone to acknowledge the fact that you’re one of us now.”

 

“You mean people might actually be nice to me now?” Mal snorted.

 

“Yes, and if they’re not then I’ll show them just who they’re messing with.” Evie whispered as she leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to her girlfriend’s lips. “You’re a hero now, Mal. You have the world at your fingertips.”

 

Mal could only shake her head in amusement at the older girl as she arched her head up for a small kiss, a small hum building in the back of her throat as she pulled away to brush her nose against Evie’s; if only the girl knew that her whole world was standing in front of her.

 

“So,” Mal sighed as she glanced out at the party. “What happens now?”

 

“Hm,” Evie hummed as she stood before her girlfriend, her lower lip tucking itself into her the rows of her teeth for a moment. “Tonight, we celebrate. And tomorrow? Well, I guess we’ll figure that all out as it comes at us.”

 

“Together?” Mal whispered.

“Together.” Evie nodded.

The doors leading out to the party swung open and allowed the noises of excitement to pour in; intertwining her fingers with Mal’s, Evie began to guide the girl out to the party and towards the start of their future.


End file.
